I've Told All My Troubles Goodbye
by pandorabox82
Summary: When Hotch is attacked, it is left up to Penelope to aid his recovery. However, things become quickly complicated as they dance around their mutual feelings of desire. What will the fallout be of an illicit office romance?
1. Chapter 1

"So, who's up for a round at Magoo's once we land?" Morgan asked as they started their descent.

"Sounds good to me," Ashley said as she checked the time on her phone. "I have nowhere to be."

"I'm game," Reid answered at the same time Rossi and JJ gave their assent. The lone holdout was Aaron and they all looked at him.

"I have paperwork to do, guys, but you have fun without me." He didn't look up from the file he was holding. "You should see if Garcia wants to go along. She hasn't been out with you all in quite some time."

Morgan nodded and called her up on the video uplink. "Yes?"

"Hey, Baby Girl, we're heading out for drinks once we land. Do you want to come with us?"

"Sugar, I am swamped with work here. I don't think I can."

"But it isn't a party without you Penelope," Ashley said, a slight whine in her voice.

"I'll have to see. Come ask me when you get here. You'll have to drop your bags here anyway." She cut the connection with them and Morgan frowned at the screen.

"Give her time. She's still struggling with Emily's death," Hotch said lowly, touching Morgan's shoulder. "We each grieve in our own way and she hasn't come out the other side yet. Once she finds the way to move on, she will."

"I thought things would be easier once I came back, Hotch. It just seems to have made things worse." JJ looked down at her hands, a frown spreading over her face as well.

"So did I. But Penelope is, at her core, a most tender-hearted soul. Events like this scar her, deeply. Just keep working to pull her out of her shell. I'm certain persistence will win. After all, isn't that how she wears us down?" A ghost of a smile flickered across Aaron's face as he thought about all she'd done for him over the years.

They finally landed and all went up to the bullpen, their faces strangely peaceful in spite of the case they had just left. Hotch disappeared up to his office while the others set their bags down and then left the bullpen. A few minutes later, someone knocked on his door. "Come in," he called out and the door opened, revealing Penelope. "Don't you want to go with the team?"

"Kind of, but I have things to do here. Aren't you going to go?"

"I will if you will, Penelope. The team would really like it if you were there."

"It's just not the same without Em. I mean, I'm glad JJ is back and all, but there's still a her-shaped hole in my heart. I loved her like a sister, Hotch."

"I know. We all did. Now, are we going for drinks or not? Jack's going to be at Jessica's tonight, anyway. It's too late to take him home." She nodded, a tiny smile flickering across her face. "Great." He stood and held out his arm to her and she slid her hand into the crook of his elbow as they walked through a silent bullpen.

She didn't say anything as they went down the sidewalk, though he noticed she clung closely to him, using him for support. Finally, she stopped and looked at him. "Did you hear where Kevin was transferred to?"

It clicked in his head, in that moment, where the sorrow was coming from also. "He hasn't transferred anywhere, Penelope."

"Oh." She turned her face from him and took a deep breath. "Why would he lie to me?"

His first instinct was to tell her what he really thought, that Lynch was a spineless jackass, but he knew that wouldn't help things. "Maybe he couldn't think of a kinder way to break up with you."

"You're probably right," she said as they went inside the bar. Ashley waved them over to the table the team had commandeered and he placed his hand on the small of her back, guiding her through the throng of people.

"Hey, you guys made it!" Morgan hugged Penelope close and pulled her down to sit on his leg. "What do you both want to drink?"

"I'll take a beer," they both answered at the same time, and Penelope giggled as she looked up at him, some of the sadness lifting from her features for a moment. Hotch sat next to JJ, who nodded at him. A dance song came on the sound system and Morgan pulled Penelope out onto the dance floor, followed closely by Seaver and Rossi. Reid went and ordered another round of beers for the team.

"How is she doing?" JJ asked, looking at her out on the dance floor.

"It's not just missing Emily. I guess Kevin's gone MIA. He told her he had been transferred somewhere. Can you believe that? When Morgan gets wind of what he's done to her, Kevin is going to wish he'd been so lucky as to be transferred."

"And why do you care, Sir?" JJ asked softly, staring at him intently.

"Because she's Penelope." The other woman just smiled like a Sphinx and he frowned at her. "That's all it is, I swear."

"Sure, I believe you. But do you believe yourself?"

He fell silent, continuing to watch Penelope dance with Morgan and then Rossi. "I have to."

"Go out and dance with her. One dance won't hurt anything."

He nodded absently and stood up, taking a swig of beer before going out to the dance floor. He tapped Penelope's shoulder, and she turned to face him, a smile breaking out on her face. She wrapped an arm around his waist, pulling him flush against her. The song suddenly switched to a slow ballad and he stiffened slightly as Penelope rested her head on his chest, swaying in time to the music. He relaxed a little as the song went on, leaning down to breath in the unique scent that defined her so well.

The song bled into another slow one and he didn't let her go. He thought he heard her sigh as she snuggled closer to him. He caught Morgan's eye and nodded at him. The other man finally broke a smile and pulled his current honey closer to his side. "Can we just make this last forever?" she whispered in his ear, before resting her head back on his chest.

"If only we could. Sometimes all we have is one brief, shining, moment, though."

"I know." He felt her tears wet his shirt and he unconsciously rubbed her back, comforting her. As the song came to an end, she pulled away from him to look up into his eyes. Her own eyes were still shiny with tears and he wiped them away delicately. She leaned into his touch, a small smile on her lips. He pulled back his hand and led her over to their table. JJ got up and let Penelope slide in between Reid and herself.

Hotch took a sip of his beer, finding it strangely bitter. Looking around at his team, he felt somewhat glad that Penelope had come out with them. She looked a little happier, talking to Reid about something and he smiled, knowing he could go home and she'd be looked after by the others. Pushing the beer away from him, he stood and waved at them, eager to be home and alone, away from these feelings that were bubbling up to the surface. Penelope looked slightly distressed to see him go, but Reid soon pulled her back into his conversation.

He turned to go back to the Academy once he was out the door, only to pause near the corner of the building. It was entirely the wrong thing to do, as from the shadows of the alley appeared three thugs, brandishing knives and clubs. He tensed, preparing for a fight. "Hey mister, can you spare a dime?" one asked nastily as they surrounded him. Aaron tried to remain calm as one of the men poked his back with his club.

"I don't want any trouble," he evenly replied, going for his wallet. That, however, revealed his gun and they were on him like a pack of wild dogs, dragging him into the dark alley and beating him unmercifully. He grunted as he felt cold steel slide into his body. Time seemed to stand still as they took the money from his wallet and then ran off. He couldn't move, his voice wouldn't work, and he writhed carelessly, injuring himself further.

"Aaron, Aaron, where are you hurt?" Blinking, he looked up into Penelope's face. She was crying, the tears splashing down on his face.

He vaguely pointed with his hand to the closest stab wound. She pulled out her cell phone and hurriedly dialed 911. "Hello, this is Penelope Garcia. I'm with my boss, Aaron. He's been stabbed and beaten up, and I can't find the source of all the bleeding."

"Where are you, Ma'am?"

"In the alley next to Magoo's. Please, hurry."

"Police and fire rescue are on their way. Don't leave his side."

"I won't." Penelope hung up and took hold of Aaron's hand. "Aaron, the paramedics are on their way. I won't leave until you tell me to."

"Jack…"

"He's with Jessica right now, remember, Aaron? I'll call her as soon as we get to the hospital." She squeezed his hand tightly, not wanting to let go. "Do you remember how many guys did this to you?"

"Three," he whispered, his voice thin. "I think, I think."

"Shh, Aaron. Don't speak right now. Save your strength." She brought his hand up and kissed it gently. "I'm not going to leave you, I promise."

"I know, Penny."

His eyes fluttered closed once more and she felt panic grip her heart. "No, Aaron, look at me. Please, focus on me." Slowly, his eyes opened again and she smiled at him through her tears.

"Ma'am, are you the one who called 911?" the paramedic asked as she came up to them moments later. Penelope nodded, then watched as they worked on Aaron, getting him stabilized.

"May I ride along with you? I promised I wouldn't leave his side."

The woman smiled at Penelope. "Of course you may. Follow us. You can give me your statement on the way to the hospital." She held open the front door of the ambulance and Penelope climbed in, talking into the recorder the woman set up, answering the questions asked of her.

Soon, they were at the hospital and the EMTs wheeled Aaron in. "Are you taking him up to the OR?"

"Yes. Do you want me to lead you up there?"

Penelope shook her head. "I know my way." She went to the elevator and pressed the button, waiting for the doors to open. As soon as she was settled in the OR waiting room, she pulled out her phone and began making the necessary calls. First, she dialed Jessica's number.

"Hello? Do you know what time it is?"

"Jessica? It's Penelope Garcia. There's been an incident, and Aaron was hurt. He's in the OR now. I don't know much more than that right now."

"Is he going to live?" Jessica's voice had taken on a panicked tone and Penelope bit her lip.

"I think so. He was talking to me on scene, which is a good sign. Just, I don't know, prepare Jack for seeing his daddy vulnerable. I know our little guy sees Aaron as s superhero, and I don't want, well, I…"

"I know what you mean, Penelope. Call again in the morning for when we can come down and visit."

"Will do." Penelope hung up with her and then called Morgan. "Sugar…"

"Baby Girl, what's wrong?" She could hear the noise of the bar in the background and hoped the others will still there as well. It would be easier if they were all in one place.

"I'm at Washington Memorial."

"What? Are you all right?" In the background, she heard Dave ask what was wrong.

"I'm fine. It's Hotch, he's been hurt. Some thugs jumped him earlier tonight. He's in surgery right now. Will, will you tell the team for me? I don't feel like calling everyone. And hurry here, please. I feel like I'm going to break at any moment."

"Of course, Penelope. We'll be there as soon as we can. Hang on until then." Morgan disconnected the call and Penelope stared at her hands, trying not to cry. His blood was on her palms still, and she felt the tears slip down her face. Time seemed to crawl and then she felt a warm hand on her back. Looking up, she saw Morgan's brown eyes, concern and love shining there.

"Have you heard anything yet?"

"No. The doctor hasn't been out yet. What if this time he doesn't make it? What do I tell Jack?"

"He'll make it, he's Hotch." Morgan sat down next to her and clasped her hand. "Were you the one who found him?"

She nodded, tears continuing to slip down her cheeks. "I didn't even realize his blood was on my hands until just a moment ago." She curled up into Morgan's side, letting him wrap his arms around her, ignoring the others. The wait stretched on for another few hours and finally a doctor approached them.

"Aaron Hotchner?" Penelope nodded, springing to her feet. "He's in recovery right now; you should be able to see him in another thirty minutes or so." The doctor pulled her to the side, looking at her sympathetically. "It's going to be a long, arduous recovery. Thankfully, his scar tissue deflected some of the knife blows. There is some damage to his left arm, which we're going to keep an eye on. Do you know of any family members who could come and help him as he gets better?"

"He has a brother I can call. And I can see if his sister-in-law here could come stay at his place." She pulled out her cell phone and began to look for Sean's number. After Reid had been taken, she'd put all the numbers of their families into her phone so she could get in contact with them instantly.

"Hotchner," a tired voice said.

"Sean, this is Penelope Garcia. Your brother's been attacked and he needs someone to stay with him for the next few weeks. Is there any way you could come down and be with him?"

"Oh, god, I wish I could, Penelope. We have a big catering event for the UN next week, and I can't miss that. I'm going to be the head chef and all. Do, do you think he'll understand?"

"Of course he will, Sean. Though I'm sure he'd like a visit as soon as you can get away."

"Sure, yeah. Keep me updated, okay?"

"I will." Sean hung up and Penelope sighed. She dialed Jessica's number once more that evening. "Hey, it's me again."

"Is Aaron out of surgery?"

"Yes, and he's going to be fine, in time. That's actually what I'm calling about. Jess, he needs someone to help him out, once they release him from the hospital. Sean can't, so I was hoping that you could."

"No, I can't."

Penelope was incredulous at her quick refusal. "Why can't you?" she asked rather shortly.

"It's one thing to look after Jack, but I can't play nurse. Penelope, please understand. I, I just can't." Jessica sounded close to tears and it suddenly clicked into place for Penelope.

"No, I do understand, Jess. I'm sorry I snapped at you. Get some sleep and I'll see you in the morning." Hanging up, she went back to her team and sat down next to Morgan. "So, I've called and gotten no's from Sean and Jessica. The doctor said Hotch will need someone to help him at home once he's released. Would any of you be able to stay with him?" As she looked around at the other five, she knew what the answer would be.

"Sorry, Baby Girl, that is one responsibility I don't need in my life right now. He can just get a visiting nurse or something."

Penelope's shoulders slumped a little. "Or something," she echoed. Obviously, it would be up to her to make sure Aaron got better and returned to them whole. "I'll go see when we can visit him." She stood and went to the doctor, who was making notes in a chart. "Excuse me."

He turned and smiled kindly at her. "Did you find someone to look after him?"

"I'm the only one available, it looks like. Do you know when we can go in and see him?"

"Tomorrow afternoon would be best. He needs some time to heal before we shock his system with visitors. But if you're his girlfriend, I can have an orderly set up a roll away bed in the room and just you can spend the night."

"Would you?" Penelope asked, not thinking of the consequences. The doctor nodded and she sighed. "I'll go let the others know." Once more, she returned to the team, smiling slightly. "He'll be up for visitors tomorrow. You all will be able to go home now. Thank you for waiting with me."

The others stood and came up to her. "Are you staying the night?" JJ asked quietly as she pulled her away from the group, letting them leave without her. Penelope nodded.

"I have to, Jayje. No one else will. After what happened with Haley, he deserves to have someone look after him, don't you think?"

"Of course, Garcie. Just be careful not to let your heart get too entangled just yet. Neither of you are ready for a relationship right now. Especially with this creeping up now."

"He's just a friend, Jen."

"Is he?" Penelope blushed and turned away from her friend. "Just, take care, Penny."

"I will, I promise. Give Henry an extra kiss from his godmother when you get home." JJ nodded and left, while Penelope slowly took her time walking to Hotch's room. Was JJ right, did she care for Hotch more than as a friend? She slipped into his room and saw the roll away was butted up close to his own bed. As she crawled in, she sighed. "You're my friend. My dear, dear, friend," she whispered as she turned on her side to face him. "That has to be all." She fell asleep soon after, a tiny, sad, smile on her lips.


	2. Chapter 2

In the morning, she woke up to the nurse taking Aaron's vitals. Sometime in the night, their hands had become entwined and she pulled hers back carefully, not wanting to disturb him. "How does he look this morning?" she asked lowly.

"His vitals are good," the nurse replied, smiling at her. "I'd expect him to wake up soon. I can't imagine people being this cruel, even though I see things like this every day."

"I hear you there. But we just have to believe in the good out there." Penelope smiled back at the nurse and nodded. "Is the doctor going to be by this morning?"

"I think so. He'll be able to tell you a little more about how Mr. Hotchner is doing." The nurse left the room and Penelope sat up, smoothing her hair and then turning in the bed to watch him. He made little wincing faces every so often and Penelope's heart lurched every time.

After about half an hour of watching him, the doctor from last night came in. "I hope the bed was comfortable. I know it wasn't the most luxurious you've probably slept in."

"It was fine. Thank you for arranging this for me, I really appreciate it." She smiled at him. "So, what's the prognosis on Aaron?"

"I'm not going to wake him up today. I want him to heal a little before I take off the sedation. Most likely, he'll be here a week to ten days, depending on how he does. If I were you, I'd go home, eat, shower, and then come back and see him. I'll make certain to leave some paperwork with his nurses so that you'll know how to care for his wounds when he's released."

Penelope nodded and climbed out of bed, shaking his hand. Picking up her purse, she exited the room with the doctor and then realized she had no way home. Pulling out her cell phone, she quickly dialed a cab company and asked to be picked up at the hospital. While she waited, she called Jessica. "Good morning, how's Jack today?"

"Good. I didn't tell him yet, since I didn't want him to upset him until we knew more. Are you coming over now?"

"I have to stop by my apartment first and then pick up my car at the office. I should be there in about an hour and a half. Would you like me to grab lunch on my way over?"

"That would be great. I'll see you in a little while."

Penelope hung up just as the cab was stopping in front of her. She gave him the address to her apartment and sat back in the seat, lost in thought. She had really expected once of the guys to pick up the slack and look after Aaron. It kind of hurt that no one was willing to do so, not even his family. And if you couldn't depend on family, who was there?

"Wait here, please," she said as the cabbie stopped in front of her apartment. "I'll be right back down and then you can drop me off at the FBI Academy." He nodded and she quickly went into her building. She grabbed her go bag from by the door and hurriedly stuffed more clothes in it, enough to last a month with creative rearrangements. Then she put her laptop in it and her phone charger. "This should be good for now," she whispered, looking around her apartment one last time before going back down to the cab.

In no time at all, she was pulling into the parking lot for Aaron's apartment complex, pulling into a spot next to Jessica. "Aunt Penny!" Jack cried out excitedly as he ran out to greet her. She opened her arms and he threw himself into them, hugging her tightly. "Why are you here? Do you know where Daddy is?"

"Yes, I do and that's why I'm here. But let's eat lunch first, okay?" He nodded and she handed him one of the food bags. "Let's go tell Aunt Jessica we're ready to eat."

Jack filled her in on all she'd missed since last she'd seen him as they walked up the stairs to the apartment. Like how he'd scored the winning goal in his soccer game and how excited he was for the upcoming school year. After they'd eaten, Penelope led Jack into the living rrom. "Is something wring, Aunt Penny?"

"Why do you ask, Jack?"

"You look sad. Is something wrong with Daddy?"

Penelope looked up at Jessica, who only nodded at her. "Last night, your daddy and I went out with our friends to have some fun. He wanted to get back to you, so he left before everyone else. Some bad men decided that they wanted his money and when he told them no, they hurt him. He has to be in the hospital for a few days, and I'm going to take care of you until he's better."

Jack glared at her. "Did they catch the bad guys?"

"No, sweetie, not yet. But the police are looking, I promise." She wrapped an arm around his shoulders and he fell against her. "Do you want to go see him?"

"Yeah."

"Okay. But I have to tell you that he might not be awake. The doctors are making him sleep so he'll heal." Jack nodded and they stood up. "Would you like to come with us, Jessica?"

"No, I should go home and feed my cat. Peter is on a business trip this week, so there's no one at the apartment."

Penelope nodded and held her hand out to Jack. He grabbed hold of her hand and let her lead him over to where her car was. It took a minute to set up the car seat in the back, but soon they were under way. The entire drive, Jack peppered her with questions about the attack and the people who'd committed the crime. Penelope heard Aaron in him so clearly, and she smiled sadly to recognize the father in the son. Finally, they pulled into the parking ramp and she once more took Jack's hand as they went inside.

"Will this be like before?" Jack asked suddenly, clutching her hand a little tighter.

"What do you mean, honey?"

"Will I have to go away like before? Will Daddy miss my birthday again?"

"Oh no, Jack. You won't have to go away. These bad men won't hurt you, I promise." He stepped closer to her and she wrapped her arm around him. "Even if I have to step in and protect you, no bad men will ever hurt you again." The elevator doors opened and they went down the hall. Jack wanted to go faster, as he kept jogging ahead. "Honey, stay with me. You don't know where the room is."

"Yes, Aunt Penny." He took hold of her hand once more and she stepped up her pace a little to accommodate his desire. Aaron's door was closed, so she knew the nurse was in taking vitals on him. "Can't we go in yet?"

"We have to wait for the nurse to finish her work. It will be just a few moments, I promise." Sure enough, not thirty seconds after she'd said that, the nurse came out, smiling at them. Penelope led Jack into the room and she sat on the edge of the chair at Aaron's bedside. He was still not awake, and Jack inched his way closer to Penelope. "What's wrong?"

"Daddy doesn't look right. Are you sure he's okay?" Jack looked at her, his eyes quickly filling with tears.

She opened her arms and he fell into them, crying his little heart out. "Shh, pumpkin. The doctor told me he'll be okay, he just needs time to heal." Jack nodded against her chest, not letting go of her.

The doctor came in a little while later, smiling at Penelope. "Good afternoon."

"Good afternoon, Dr. Martin. How is he doing?"

"About the same as when you left. Do you have any questions to ask me?"

Jack looked up from his spot. "Daddy is going to wake up, right?"

"Of course he is, my good sir. He just needs to sleep a little now to make him better. Sleep heals a lot of things. But if you come back and visit tomorrow, he'll be able to see you."

"Really?"

"Really." Doctor Martin patted him on the back and then pulled out some papers from his pocket. "Here's some more paperwork you'll need to refer to when Mr. Hotchner goes home. Once he's woken up and we can assess the damage to his extremities, I'll be able to give you some specific physical therapy exercises."

"Thank you," Penelope said as she took the papers from his hand. "What do you think, Jack? Do you want to stay longer today or come back tomorrow when your daddy's awake?"

"Both?" He looked up at her with those puppy dog eyes and she found herself giving in to him when she nodded. Dr. Martin left them alone and Jack crawled up into her lap, not looking at his father. "Can we spend the night here?"

"I'm afraid not, Jack. Your father has to rest and get better for tomorrow. Visiting hours begin at seven, and I'll let you stay home from school tomorrow, so you can see him first thing. Does that sound like a plan?" He solemnly nodded and then snuggled back against her, finally watching his father. They sat in silence for an hour and then Penelope gently pushed Jack off her lap. "It's time to go, buddy. Give Daddy a good bye kiss."

Jack went up and kissed Aaron's cheek. He turned back to Penelope, and she clasped his hand as they left the room. "Could we stop for ice cream before we go home?" Jack asked as they got on the elevator.

"Sure, that sounds good right now." Penelope would have given him the moon if he had asked for it. He was so quiet the entire ride to the shop; she thought he'd fallen asleep. Her constant glances in the rearview mirror shower him to be staring out the window, or at her, or at his hands. "Is there something you want to ask?" she finally said, breaking the silence.

"Why did it have to be Daddy? Why do the bad guys always pick on him?"

"Because bad guys know a superhero when they see one and will do anything to hurt them when they're in their civilian guise. It's the only opportunity they have to do so." She pulled into a parking spot and then opened her door. He climbed out of the back and held her hand as they went inside. "We'll split a Kitchen Sink," she said to the counter girl and took the number she held out.

"Can we sit by the window?" Penelope nodded and let him lead her over to the spot he wanted. Jack stared out the window, silent until the ice cream came. "Ugh. I don't like cherries, and I don't like bananas. I am not eating that!"

"Jack, I know you like bananas. I've seen you eat them before."

"Nuh-uh. They're gross! I hate them!" He burst into tears and Penelope felt at a loss as to what to do. Feeling her own eyes fill with tears, she got up and sat down next to him, wrapping her arm around him and pulling him close.

"Jack, everything is going to be fine. I wouldn't lie to you, honey, I couldn't." She felt him nod against her chest and she let him go to look at him. "I love you, little man. Never forget that."

"I love you too, Aunt Penny." He kissed her cheek and then dug into the huge sundae. Penelope tucked in as well and smiled when Jack got some whipped cream on his nose. He licked it off best he could and she wiped away the rest with her napkin. They finished what they could of the enormous dessert and then headed back to the apartment.

Jack went to his room as soon as the door was open and Penelope let him be. He had to process everything, especially seeing his father in such a vulnerable state. Rifling through her bag, she pulled out her laptop and logged on to her email. There were a few from her friends in cyberspace, but only one from either of her main teams. She quickly scanned the letter from Sam and then replied with Hotch's prognosis. When that was sent, she played some of her new MMORPG. By the time she looked up from her game, it was after nine.

Penelope stretched as she stood and pulled out a set of Hello Kitty pajamas from her bag. It took her a minute to figure out how Hotch's shower worked, but soon she was standing beneath the warm water, letting it mask her own tears of frustration and sorrow. When she got out, she felt more exhausted than ever and trudged into his bedroom, grabbing the comforter off the bed. She dragged it out to the couch and curled up with it. His scent was so strong and she smiled a tiny bit as she breathed it in.

Sometime in the night, Penelope woke up feeling heavy. Blinking open her eyes, she saw Jack laying on her, looking sad and thoroughly uncomfortable even in sleep. Sighing, she set up and carefully bundled him in her arms, carrying him back to bed. His eyes fluttered open and he looked at her. "Will you stay with me, Aunt Penny?"

"Until you fall back asleep, yes," she replied, smoothing his hair back from his forehead.

"No, until morning. I don't want to wake up alone again."

"You're not alone, sweetie. I'll be right in the living room." His eyes filled with quick tears and she felt her heart clench. "Okay, okay. I'll stay with you until morning. Just let me grab a pillow and blanket." When she returned with those, she found Jack sound asleep. Penelope made up a spot on the floor and tried to get comfortable. Exhaustion won out before comfort and soon she was asleep once more.

In the morning, her back ached and she sat up, cracking it as she stretched. Jack was still sleeping, so she went out and made breakfast for them while she waited for him to get up. The smell of food soon brought him to the kitchen and they ate in silence, Jack still somber.

"What time are we going to see Daddy today?"

"Visiting hours begin in twenty minutes. You need to get ready yet, and so do I, so we'll leave as soon as we're both dressed, okay?" He nodded and went back to picking at his food. "You'll need to eat half of that, at least, to be excused from the table."

Jack pouted slightly, but ate more of his breakfast. Soon, the plate was almost empty and he helped Penelope scrape off the remnants into the trash before loading the dishwasher. "Now may I go get ready?"

"Yes." He was off like a shot upstairs and she sighed, knowing this was the last day they could do this. It was back to their everyday lives come tomorrow. Jack would not take that well. Going into the living room, she pulled out an outfit for the day. It was one of Aaron's favorites, or so Emily had once said. Her phone rang and she looked at the display. It was Morgan. "Hey."

"Hey. How's he doing?"

"Better, I guess. The doctor was going to take him off sedation last night, so he should be awake by the time we get there today. How about you?"

"I'm okay. I really wish I could help you out with him, but I don't know. It's like there's certain lines you don't cross when it comes to your boss. If you need anything, though, I can get it for you. It's the least I can do."

\ _Ain't that the truth_, she thought. "Thanks, Sugar. I should get going, though. Jack really wants to see his father this morning. I'll see you tomorrow." She hung up and went into the bathroom, quickly getting dressed. When she emerged, Jack was standing there, holding her purse and keys out. "I guess you're ready?" He nodded and she hugged him tight to her. "Let's go then."

They went out to the car and Penelope drove them to the hospital. By the time they got up to the room, the nurse was done with her duties and they went right in. Penelope pulled up the chair close to Aaron's bed and clasped his hand tightly. "I thought Daddy was going to be awake today."

"He might just be really tired, sweetie. Maybe the doctor will be in shortly and we can ask him." Jack nodded and crawled up into the bed, curling up next to his father. As he buried his head in his father's shoulder, Penelope saw Aaron's arm come up and wrap around Jack's waist. Quick tears pricked her eyes and she firmed her grip on Aaron's other hand. "Aaron?"

She watched his eyes blink rapidly as he came back to consciousness. A low groan of pain came from his mouth as he tried to sit up. "Why do I feel like I was hit by a Mack truck?" he asked lowly.

"Daddy! You are awake!" Jack threw his arms around Aaron's neck, kissing his check loudly. The tears began to fall in earnest as Penelope watched him try to hug his son back, wincing in pain as he did so. "I thought you'd never wake up, but Aunt Penny told me you would. She has faith in you."

Aaron looked at her and she tried to smile through her tears. "Hey, Boss Man, I'm glad you made it back to us. You were in surgery for what seemed like an eternity."

He tried to lift the arm Penelope was holding, and she watched his face contort with pain, a low hiss escaping from his lips. "Why can't I lift this arm?"

"That's one of the places they stabbed you. I thought I, we were going to lose you in the ambulance." She felt Aaron try to squeeze her hand and she choked on her breath, laying her head on the bed as she sobbed. His hand somehow found its way onto her head and stroked her hair softly.

The doctor came in a few minutes later. "Ah, Mr. Hotchner, you're awake. It's good to see you up. I'm certain your girlfriend's been telling you a little of what happened, but I'm here to fill you in on how you're going to recover and go home. We'll be keeping you here for the next week as your wounds heal. The stomach injury is the one we worry about the most, since infection can occur so easily. Also, your left arm will require at least four weeks of physical therapy to get up to snuff."

"That's my gun arm. I can't be out on the field with a bad arm."

"Then you'll have to wait for it to heal, Mr. Hotchner. Your girlfriend will help you with anything you need, I'm sure. Other than those two issues, you're going to be fine. You should thank God for your previous scars. They saved your life." He turned and left the room and Penelope felt Aaron's eyes on her.

"Girlfriend?"

She nodded slightly, not meeting his gaze. "It was the only way I could think of at the moment to get them to let me ride with you to the hospital. I'm sorry I lied." She felt his hand cover hers once more and she finally looked up at him.

"It's okay, Penelope. You can be my pretend girlfriend."

She smiled radiantly at his joke and squeezed his hand tightly. "See, Jack, everything's going to be okay. The doctor said so."

"I know, Aunt Penny. But who's going to take care of us while Daddy gets better?"

"That's my job, kiddo. I'm adding nursemaid to my résumé."

Aaron looked at her in confusion. "You don't have to do this, you know."

"I lost Emily. I'm not losing you, too, Aaron." Her eyes welled up once more with tears and he nodded. "Besides, I like looking after Jack. It gives me great practice."

"You don't need that much," he quietly said and she smiled. It was nice to hear those words coming from him. She settled back into the chair and they listened to Jack jabber on, Aaron never letting go of her hand.


	3. Chapter 3

"Hey, Boss Man, how're you feeling this morning?" Penelope asked as she came into his room the next morning.

"A little better than the day before. Did you get Jack off to school okay?"

"Yeah, he put up a little fuss, but I told him we'd come see you tonight after I pick him up." She looked down at her hands as she sat in the chair next to his bed. "I really tried to get someone else from the team to help you. They all gave excuses as to why they couldn't and I was not about to let some strange person take care of Jack and you. Jack needs a familiar face now."

"Penelope." At her given name, she looked up into his eyes, her lower lip quivering. "Thank you."

"For what? I haven't done anything that a friend wouldn't do."

"And yet, you're the one who's taking care of my son. And me, eventually, I guess." He smiled slightly and she felt her insides melt a little as she nodded.

The doctor came in and checked Aaron over. "We're going to be releasing you on Friday. I'll be sending the physical therapist up to your room in about five minutes and she'll show you what you need to do to get that arm back up to snuff." They nodded in unison and he left.

"Have they caught any of the guys that did this to me?" he asked hoarsely.

"Morgan said the police got one trying to hock your watch and are pressuring him to turn over the others. Hopefully, he'll cave soon."

"That's good." He closed his eyes and she clasped his hand, needing to be in contact with him. True to his word, the doctor came back with the physical therapist about seven minutes later.

As the woman spoke, Penelope took copious notes on her iPhone, trying to record every detail. The woman smiled at her and handed her some papers. "These tell you what to do as well. With hard work and effort, you'll be as good as new in a month, Mr. Hotchner."

"Can't we speed up the timeline a little?"

"To do so would be to risk the use of your arm. Then you would never get out on the field. Don't worry, I have a feeling that you're in good hands." She motioned Penelope closer to her side. "Before I leave today, let me show you how to do the first of the exercises." Penelope nodded and let the woman guide her hands through the motions. She blushed a little at touching Aaron for so long and winced along with him in sympathy.

"What if I do something wrong?"

"Don't worry, you won't. You'll be able to feel something is wrong before you go too far. Our body is wonderful like that." She shook hands with Penelope and then left them alone.

"I should get going, too, Hotch. I have to be at work in thirty. We'll see you tonight about 6:30, okay?"

"Sounds good, Penny." She squeezed his hand gently and took off out the door so he wouldn't see her grin at his use of her shortened name. _It's not like anything could happen between us, anyway. Strauss would flip her lid and split the whole team up if that happened._

When she stepped into the bullpen, she was swarmed with people wanting to know how Hotch was. "He's fine," she told the gaggle of agents as she made her way up to her office. "He just needs time to heal."

"That's all well and good, Kitten," Dave said as he took her arm and guided her into his office instead. "But when were you planning on telling Strauss? She wants a plan of action for up until Aaron is back in the office again."

"So we need to plan out the next five weeks? Well, four and a half, since it's Tuesday, but still. How are we even going to know where our cases will be? I may be the Oracle of All Knowing, but I'm not a psychic, Dave."

"I know, but she has to explain to the people above her the situation as it stands. And she especially needs to know that you plan to spend these next few weeks at Aaron's home. If she were to find out second hand, neither of you would have a job any longer."

Penelope nodded and sat down heavily in a chair. "I think I'm going to try for the work from home angle. I can tell her it might speed his recovery. But you need to go with me. She listens to you for some reason."

"It's because I stand up to her, Penelope. I never back down." He smiled and sat next to her. "So, is Hotch stir crazy yet?"

"Of course. He seems to think that since he's awake, he can come home and go back to work like nothing happened. I hope I can take care of them well enough."

Dave patted her upper arm softly. "You'll do fine, you always take care of us perfectly." She smiled at him and ten stood up.

"Well, we should probably face the fire sooner rather than later, Dave. Let's go up and see Chief Strauss." Biting her lip, she let him take her arm once more and together they went up to her office. The assistant motioned for them to take a seat while he went and knocked on her door, disappearing inside for a moment.

"She'll see you now Agent Rossi, Ms. Garcia."

"Thanks, Lee," Dave said as they stood. Penelope went in first and saw Chief Strauss working on some files.

"Please, sit. I assume the two of you are here to give me an update on Agent Hotchner as I asked."

"Yes, Ma'am. I just got here from seeing him in the hospital, and the doctor has given me a timeline of five weeks, including this one, before he can be back in the field."

"I see."

"And…"

"There's more, Ms. Garcia?"

Penelope nodded, cringing a little at the sharpness in Strauss's voice. "The doctor feels it best, that due to the immobility of his dominant arm and the wound on his other that Agent Hotchner have someone with him to take care of him. Jack volunteered me for the job before I could say no."

Chief Strauss's eyes narrowed as her nostrils flared, and Penelope wondered if she could smell the lie she'd just told. She looked ready to launch into a verbal tirade when Rossi spoke. "Erin, this could be the perfect solution. If she were to work from his apartment while he recovers, we won't be as short-handed. He can assist us in developing the profile while Penelope looks up information."

"Go on."

"And you could say that you pioneered a new trend by embracing the technological world, Ma'am. If this works well, we'd give you all the credit in coming up with the idea. All in all, a win-win situation." Penelope smiled at the woman and was encouraged to see her smile back a tiny bit.

"Well, there is that. All right, we'll see how this goes. I think it goes without saying that you will be on your best behavior, Ms. Garcia. I do not want any hint of scandal attached to this."

"Of course, Ma'am. You have me word that no hanky-panky will happen." Dave stood and Penelope copied him, holding out her hand to Strauss. The woman clasped it and shook it vigorously before releasing her. "Thank you again, Ma'am."

Penelope couldn't keep from grinning the entire time they used to get back to the bullpen. "Penelope, it's not Christmas."

"But it feels like it is. I can't believe she so readily agreed to this, Dave."

"Neither can I, and that worries me. You seriously need to be perfect until Hotch is back in action. I fear that any small slip up would give her just cause to split us up."

The grin slid off her face. "Oh, I didn't think about that. Would she really be that mean?"

"I don't think it's meanness, Kitten. She has a lot of pressure from above to keep us in line."

"You make us sound like unruly children."

"That's kind of what our team is. And after everything that happened with Doyle, her ass is on the line, too. I know it's been almost a year since we lost Emily, but the brass has incredibly long memories." He squeezed her shoulder and she smiled up at him. "It doesn't mean we have to like her, it just helps us to understand her better."

Penelope nodded and went up to her office. As she booted up her system, she checked her phone and found she had a message from JJ. She played it while she opened her search programs. "Hey, hon, some see me when you hear this. Jayje."

"I wonder what she wants?" Penelope mused aloud as she stuck her keys in her pocket and left the tech cave. Keeping her head down, she avoided all the people who tried to stop her and ask about Hotch. Without knocking, she went into JJ's office and closed the door. "You wanted to see me, Jayje?"

"Yeah. Sit down." Penelope looked at her friend, wondering what was going on. "Don't worry. It's nothing too bad. Jessica called a few minutes ago. It seems Jack picked a fight with another kid today already and the teacher wanted her to pick him up. Only, she can't because she got called in to work an extra shift."

"So he needs someone to pick him up."

"Uh huh. I'll cover for you with the others. Take the day off and go to the zoo or something. He needs you, Penny."

Penelope nodded and then left the room. Quickly, she packed her purse up and was flying down the stairs. The drive to his school didn't take long and she was soon in the office. Jack was looking down at the floor, scuffling his feet against the carpet, when she entered. "Hi, I'm here to pick up Jack Hotchner," she told the secretary. "I'm Penelope Garcia."

"Ah yes, Jessica said you'd be by. The principal would like to speak with you for a moment before you leave." The woman showed her back to the office. "Ms. Garcia is here, Ma'am."

"Thank you, Clare." The woman shut the door on her way out. "Jessica mentioned something ove the phone about there being a problem with Mr. Hotchner. Is everything okay?"

Suddenly overwhelmed by everyone asking her that all day, Penelope felt herself become irrationally angry at the woman's question. "I'm not at liberty to say, as it involves an ongoing investigation. Did you need me to sign anything before I take Jack home?"

The woman blanched at her tone and shook her head. "No, he's free to leave."

"Wonderful." Penelope stood and strode out of the office, fairly slamming the door behind her. "Come on Jack. We're going to the zoo now."

"You aren't going to yell at me?" he asked as he jogged alongside her, a pensive look on his face.

"No. You're upset about your father and acted out. You know that was wrong, right?"

"Yeah, I'm supposed to use my brain, not my hands."

"There you go, you know what you're supposed to do," she said as she got him settled in his booster seat. "I can't discipline you, sweetie, that's not my place. But I know how you feel. Your anger covers up your sadness, since it's easier to be mad. I felt the same way when I lost my parents. At least you know that Daddy is coming home to you."

Jack tugged on her arm, pulling her down to look into his eyes. "I love you, Aunt Penny." He threw his arms around her as he cried. "I'll try to be better from now on, so you don't have to worry about me, too."

"Oh, Jack, I love you so much." Penelope returned the hug and then buckled his seat belt. "What do you want to see first?"

"The penguins! Daddy and I saw _Mr. Popper's Penguins_ a few weeks ago and I liked it, though they changed a lot from the book."

"Get used to that, kiddo. The only movies that have been true to the books is the _Lord of the Rings_, and you're not old enough yet to read or watch them." They chattered on as she drove and soon were wandering through the zoo. After visiting the penguins, Penelope got them lunch and then they explored the rest of the place.

"Can we go see Daddy after this? I want to tell him about our day."

"That sounds like a wonderful idea, Jack. I'm sure he'd love that." Penelope squeezed his hand a little tighter as she smiled down at him. "Do you want to get him something from the shops before we leave?"

"Yeah!" He dragged her over to the closest one and made a beeline for the stuffed animals. "Can we get matching tigers? That way Daddy will know I'm there, even when I'm not."

"Sure, Jackers. Pick out the one you like." He finally settled on a set of floppy tigers and proudly carried them up to the cash register. "Maybe I should start calling you Calvin," Penelope said as she ruffled his hair.

"Huh?"

"It was this wonderful comic strip back in the 90's about a boy and his pet stuffed tiger. I think I still have some of the books, if you want to look at them," she said as they got in the car.

"Okay." Jack hummed under his breath the entire drive to the hospital. Once Penelope had parked, he took her hand willingly and they went inside. "Do you like Daddy?" he asked as they were riding the elevator.

"Your father is one of my dear friends, Jack. I would do anything for him."

"That's not what I mean, Aunt Penelope. Do you _like_ like Daddy?"

Penelope felt her cheeks redden as she thought about how to answer Jack's question. "It would be hard for any girl not to, kiddo. But he's my boss, and I can't like him like that, no matter how much I'd like to. I know it's kind of hard to understand, but grownups have to followe rules that don't always make sense."

"Do I have to grow up then?"

"We all do, Jack." The doors opened and they walked down the hallway to Aaron's room. "Knock knock, Boss Man," she said as she opened his door.

"Daddy!" Jack let go of her hand and ran up to his bedside, climbing up next to Aaron. "Aunt Penelope and I went to the zoo today and I got to see the penguins!"

"Weren't you supposed to be in school?"

"I sort of got in a fight with another kid and they sent me home early. Aunt Penny already talked to me about using my words and not my fists. We got this for you until you come home. I miss you, Daddy!" Jack began to cry and buried his face in his father's shoulder. Aaron wrapped his better arm around Jack and beckoned Penelope over. She took a seat on the chair near his head and smiled slightly.

"And Aunt Penelope disciplined you by taking you to the zoo?"

"She said it wasn't her place to discipline me," Jack sobbed out. Aaron looked over at Penelope, respect shining in his eyes.

"She's a wise woman. You should listen to her." Cautiously, he reached out his other hand, wincing slightly at the movement. She clasped it, lowering her face so he wouldn't see her tears. "When's Morgan going to wake up and see what's in front of him?"

She gasped softly as a sharp pain seared her chest. "Perhaps it's not Morgan I'm waiting on to wake up." His grip on her hand tightened imperceptibly. "Perhaps I want something I have no right to."

"Penny." She looked up at him and saw the same expression of respect still on his face. "Perhaps there's a mutual desire."

"Oh, Aaron," she whispered, letting him touch her cheek softly. Their intimate bubble was burst by the nurse bustled in to check Aaron's vitals. When she'd left the room once more, the magic was gone and Penelope found herself suddenly self-conscious. "So, how are you getting on in here?"

"The food is terrible. I hope you're a good cook, I feel like I've lost fifteen pounds already. I'm bored out of my mind, since I can't really use my arms to do anything like read or write. And I miss my Jackers terribly, too."

Jack kissed his father's cheek loudly, snuggling all the closer to him. "Daddy, you're coming home soon, right?"

"In a few more days, kiddo."

"Good." Jack laid his head down on Aaron's shoulder and Penelope watched his eyes flutter closed.

"We did a lot of walking today. I hope you don't mind our trip, but I couldn't think of anything else to take his mind off all this."

"You did fine, Penny." He gave her one of his rare smiles and she beamed back.

"Do you mind if I lay my head down on the bed for a few minutes? Chasing after him can be exhausting." He nodded and she pillowed her head on her arms. Penelope sighed as she felt his hand come to rest on her head. "Aaron Hotchner, you sure make it easy for a girl to care for you," She whispered before she fell asleep herself.

Twenty minutes later, she woke up to his finger gently poking her shoulder. "You should get up now. Short naps are better if you want to sleep tonight." Aaron looked into her eyes and she could feel the blush that stained her cheeks. "I've done that too often myself and late night insomnia is a bitch."

"What about Jack?"

"The young can sleep forever. Don't you remember how, back at his age, your mom could turn the lights out and you'd be asleep in no time?"

"Now that you mention it, yeah. Do you have anything in particular you'd like for your first meal home?"

"Lasagna with garlic bread, if you would."

"I'll see what I can do." A comfortable silence fell over them as they watched Jack sleep. Hesitantly, Penelope touched his hand and smiled when he took hold of it once more.


	4. Chapter 4

"Why is it so cold in here, Penelope?" were the first words out of Aaron's mouth when she opened the apartment door.

"You're not home for one minute and already you're complaining? I can send you back, if that's what you'd like. They were kind enough to let you out an evening early, after all."

"No, I'm sure I'll get used to it."

"Good. It's only for a month, anyway. My computer has to stay at optimal running speed if I'm to work from here, so I have to keep it a little cooler than normal. Haven't you noticed I wear a lot of sweaters during the summer?"

"Now that you mention it, yes." Aaron sat heavily on the sofa, looking at what had been his coffee table. "So, is this going to be the mobile tech cave area?"

"Uh huh. The second laptop is for you to Skype with the team while they're on location." She smiled as she set his bag down on the floor. "Jack, why don't you read a story with your father while I work on supper, okay?"

"Sure, Aunt Penny."

She smiled and made her way to the kitchen, pulling out a glass casserole dish from one of the cupboards she'd explored earlier. Then she turned on her iPad, opening up the Betty Crocker cookbook app while she set it on the stand she'd improvised. "Okay, so I already cooked the noodles, now I have to lay them out on the bottom of the dish," she said under her breath as she copied what the instructions told her to do.

"Can I help you, Penelope?"

She whirled around to look at Aaron. "Am I that obviously lost in the kitchen? I already made the meat sauce and bought lots of cheese. I hope you like cheese." She smiled as she went to the fridge and grabbed out the other ingredients for the lasagna. "But I think I have everything here under control. Where's Jack?"

"He fell asleep. All the excitement of the day caught up to him." Penelope noticed he leaned against the counter gingerly and she smiled sadly. "Hey, I'm alive and kicking here. No need to look so dispirited."

"I know. I just wish I'd left with you."

"Then you might have gotten hurt as well. That would have been worse." She looked into his eyes, only to find herself blushing at the truth shining there. She focused on pouring the cheese over the first layer, only to feel him come up behind her. "I don't know what I'd have done if you had gotten hurt."

He carefully put the next noodle layer on top of the cheese and she remembered to breathe. "If I can survive a point blank range shooting, Boss Man, I can survive anything the world throws at me. Will you grab out the container of garlic butter? It's on the top shelf of the fridge." She finished the dish and stuck it in the oven. Then she grabbed the loaf of Italian bread and cut it into thick chunks which she set on a metal tray.

Taking the mixture from his hands, she dumped it into a sauce pan and remelted it. "Is there anything you can't do?"

"Aaron?"

"Nothing. It's just, you're amazing."

"That would be the painkillers talking. Go, sit down in the living room. It's going to be at least twenty minutes before we eat." She shooed him out of the kitchen and turned back to the pan on the stove. As she stirred the garlic butter around, she let a few tears escape, hastily wiping them away. This was going to be so much harder than she thought; especially knowing he cared for her. She needed to be on top of everything and not let herself slip again.

Penelope pulled out a brush from the utensil drawer and covered the bread slices with the butter before sticking them in the oven, too. Then she went and joined Aaron and Jack in the living room. He was trying to read the paper and failing, his face scrunched up with pain. "Here, let me read it to you," she said impulsively. "Where do you want me to start?"

"Just read the international headlines, Penelope." He closed his eyes as he listened to her go through the news. She'd just finished the last article when the buzzer rang. She stood up and gently shook Jack's shoulder, waking him.

"Time to eat, buddy. Go get washed up." He nodded and ran off to the bathroom, leaving them alone. She didn't meet Aaron's eyes as she stood in front of him. "What do you want to drink with supper?"

"I'd say wine, but I'm not allowed alcohol on these drugs. Water will be fine, Penny." He stood and held out his elbow and she hesitantly took it, letting him lead her into the kitchen. While he sat, she pulled out three glasses and filled them with water. "Did you get the tub chair from the pharmacy?"

"Uh huh, along with everything else the physical therapist suggested."

"Good. After we do my exercises, I'd like to take a bath. It feels like the smell of the hospital is still oozing out of my pores. Remember, you'll have to help me for the first two weeks. The doctor doesn't want me doing too much with this bum arm of mine."

Penelope turned before he could see her blush, pulling out the lasagna and garlic bread from the oven. "Where do you keep the knives?" she asked to distract herself from the delicious thoughts of seeing him in the tub, naked and wet.

"On top of the fridge. I don't want Jack to have easy access to them."

"Okay, now I see them." She stood on tiptoe and reached for the largest one. As she pulled it out, she caught him staring at her chest and she bit her lip, turning to the lasagna and quickly cutting out three pieces. Jack took a seat next to his father and she served them first, putting the slabs of pasta on their plates before sitting down across from Aaron.

"We learned about Christopher Columbus today at school. Our teacher doesn't seem to like him much."

"Why would you say that?"

"I could tell by her voice. I asked her why and she said I'd find out when I'm older. Why do I have to be older to know everything?"

"Because there are some things you have to go through in life before you can understand fully. Columbus was an explorer, yes, but he was so using other people's work. We should never take credit for something that's not ours."

"I know that, Aunt Penny. Why couldn't she just have said so?" Jack frowned slightly and Penelope tried to mask her smile.

"She probably doesn't think the rest of your class knows that yet."

"Oh. Aunt Penny, you're spending the night, right?"

"Actually, my junior G-man, I'm spending the month."

"Great! Will you read me a bedtime story?"

"Of course I will." She smiled at Aaron and was happy to see a warm smile flicker across his face as well. Jack chattered on for the rest of the meal and helped her put the dishes in the washer when they were done.

"You have an hour before bed, Jack. Do you have any homework?" Aaron held out his hand expectantly and Jack went to the hook where his backpack was and took out a folder, handing it to his father. He quickly went through the papers there and smiled at his son.

"It was easy stuff today, Daddy. I got it done while she was still explaining it to the others." He put the folder back in his bag and pulled Penelope over to the living room. "Let's watch cartoons. Aunt Jessica showed me how to DVR _Justice League_ so I can watch it any time. You like superheroes, right, Aunt Penny?"

"I love them, honey." He grinned and called up an episode and then snuggled next to her on the couch. Aaron joined them a few minutes later, wrapping his good arm around his son's shoulders. Jack squirmed a little, knocking his hand into Penelope's breast and she felt her face turn red at the unexpected intimate touch.

"Sorry," Aaron muttered and she shook her head, a tiny smile flitting across her face.

"They do kind of get in the way," she replied and enjoyed seeing his quick flush of embarrassment. "Aaron, it's okay. At least you didn't make any honking noises."

He let out a short guffaw and Jack shushed him. "Daddy, the show's started."

"Okay, Jack." He smiled at Penelope over Jack's head and she returned the smile. They sat through two episodes and then she brought Jack over to his room.

While he pulled on pajamas, she perused his bookshelf. Frowning, she pulled her phone out of her purse and quickly downloaded _Black Beauty_ in her eReader. "We're going to read a book I loved as a child. We'll read two chapters a night, all right?" Jack nodded and listened to her read the story. By the end of the second chapter, he was yawning and she tucked him in, kissing his forehead lightly.

As Penelope went to leave the room, she saw Aaron in doorway, a sad smile on his lips. "You're really good with him, Penelope."

"Thanks, Aaron. I'm trying to be the best rock I can be for him." She smiled back at him. "So, are you ready to wash away the stink of the hospital?"

"If you are," he said as he walked across the hall to the bathroom. By the time she'd joined him, he had stripped down to his boxers and she was able to see his wounds and scars for the first time clearly.

A sharp gasp escaped her lips as she reached out to touch his chest. "Oh Aaron, I didn't realize how much you've been through." To cover her quick tears, she turned the water on, letting it fill the tub fill with hot water. She felt him brush against her and straightened slightly before turning to look at him.

Aaron had taken a seat, a washcloth over his lap. Penelope swallowed hard, feeling her cheeks flush once more. "Could you put a little more cold water in? Things are a little too hot for me right now." She nodded hurriedly, trying not to focus on his lap or his eyes.

She grabbed another washcloth and stuck it in the warm water, soaping it up. As she washed his back, she hummed lowly under her breath. She was surprised when he began to hum along. "I didn't know you were a Wainwright fan."

"I moved on to the son after growing up on the father. What's your favorite song?"

"You're going to make me pick one. Fine. 'Go or Go Ahead'." She moved on to his chest, dragging the rough cloth along him. "And yours?"

"Dinner at Eight comes to mind first, but there are so many good songs from him." She slipped lower and he growled lowly, reaching out to stop her hand. "I'm not a saint, Penny." He brought her hand back up to his chest. She nodded and went to rinse the cloth when she slipped on a spot of water and fell onto him. Aaron caught her with his good arm, bringing her tight against his chest, thoroughly wetting the front of her dress.

Penelope raised her face and found herself staring into his eyes, so close to hers. It would be nothing to lean just a little further in and kiss his hard lips. Once more, she swallowed and saw his lips come down to capture hers. She sighed, loving too much the feel of his lips on hers. "Aaron," she breathed out as he broke the kiss. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that. Here, let me wash your legs." She picked up the washcloth once more and scrubbed at his legs, focusing on the bottom of the tub.

"It's okay, Penny. I'm as much responsible as you." She smiled slightly and ran her hands up and down his legs as she took the soap off. Still not looking directly at him, she ran some clean water into a cup and ran it over his head, washing his hair.

"Do you need me to get any other spot I may have missed, Aaron?" she asked in a subdued voice.

"No, I think I'm clean enough, Penelope." She nodded and pulled the plug, letting the water drain out. She helped him to stand and handed him a towel. He used his good arm to wrap it around his body. For just a moment, she caught a glimpse of him and felt the damned flush return.

She turned and bent, grabbing his boxers and handing them to him before turning around with his t-shirt. "So, we have to go through your exercises before I leave you along for the night." Aaron nodded and they went back out to the living room. Penelope quickly read over the instructions one more time and began to work through the list of five exercises the physical therapist had prescribed.

Aaron hissed slightly, the only noise he made throughout the cycle. By the time she was finished, both were breathing heavily. She looked at him and saw his eyes were closed, his face scrunched up in discomfort. "Penny, would you go into the kitchen and grab me two of the 800 milligram Tylenol?"

"Sure." She went over and found the bottle, shaking two into her hand. Then she went and filled a glass with water. Penelope returned to his side moments later. He took the pills from her, throwing them in his mouth and then sipping at the water. She yawned and he turned his head to smile at her. "And Monday begins the real test of this. If I'm so exhausted now, what will it be like then?"

"You're the best, Penelope. I have no worries about you doing this with your usual perfection."

"Hey, I'm not perfect. Those drugs are addling your brain, Boss Man. Remember the Fisher King? Or Darren Call?"

"I've made mistakes, too, Penny. But we've moved on and learned from them, right? And two mistakes over our entire caseload is as close to perfect as you can get." He held out his arm and she instinctively curled up into him. He made it so easy to be free like this. She could almost pretend that they were together, a couple, and he was so close to her. Even in her wildest dreams, this had never come close to happening.

"Aaron, we have to be careful. I want this too much. And you know Strauss will be checking up on us. But…"

"You were always one to play with fire, even when it burned."

"Yeah." She looked up and saw his eyes were closed. "Maybe, maybe it would be for the best if you went to bed now. Otherwise, who knows what will happen." Penelope stood and grabbed some pajamas from her bag. "I'm going to get changed for bed." She knew she was babbling and that if he was to reach out his hand, she would let him lead her to his room. Neither could afford that.

"I'll see you in the morning, then."

"Bright and early, Boss Man." She escaped to the bathroom and leaned against the door, her heart racing wildly. "That's it, cold shower for you tonight, Garcie." Slowly, she stripped, looking at herself in the mirror. He desired her. Him, one of the most gorgeous men on the face of the planet. And here they were, stuck together for the next four weeks.

Penelope stepped into the shower, standing beneath the cold spray. It seemed like the Universe was forever playing some kind of joke on her. First Battle, and then Kevin, and now this. Slowly, she washed her body, trying not to picture his hands running over her curves. And she couldn't even get off, not with them so close to her.

Finally, she turned the water off and quickly dried her body, slipping into the pajamas. When she got back to the living room, she saw that he had left her a set of sheets and some pillows. Smiling, Penelope made the couch over into her bed and lay down, covering herself up. The sheets smelled like him, and she drifted off to sleep with her mind in the other room, with him.

In the morning, Jack woke her up by sitting on her legs. Blearily, she opened her eyes and looked at him. "Hey Jack. What time is it?"

"6:30. Aunt Jessica's going to be here soon to take me to school. Daddy has breakfast ready, if you're hungry."

"Good." She shoved her glasses on her face and then stumbled after Jack into the kitchen. Aaron was just putting the plates on the table and he smiled at her. She smiled back and sat down next to him. "Did you sleep well last night?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing. I know the couch isn't too comfortable."

"I had sweet dreams to ease my sleep. But how about you? Did the medicine last the night?" She touched his shoulder in concern and he turned to look at her.

"I was fine." She read the truth he didn't want to say in his eyes and she bit her lip a little as she nodded. "So Jack, are you going to be good in school today?"

"Of course I am, Daddy. You're home and Aunt Penelope is here." Jack shoved a huge piece of pancake in his mouth and grinned at them. Penelope had barely finished eating when there was a knock at the door.

"I'm not even dressed yet," she wailed as she put her plate in the sink.

"You look fine, Penelope. Besides, it's just Jessica. You don't need to impress her."

_But I do_ her mind screamed as she smoothed her hair, looking around the room for somewhere to hide.

"Pumpkin, you look fine," he repeated, kissing her cheek softly. It was enough to still her hands and plaster a dreamy smile on her face. "I'll go to the door if you want to get Jack's lunch out of the fridge. I was up early this morning anyway, so I thought I'd get that out of the way."

Dumbly, she nodded and got up, opening the fridge door and finding the Captain America lunch bag. Jack ran up to her and took the bag from her hand. "Have a great day, Aunt Penny! I love you."

"I love you, too, Jack." He hugged her tightly before running to the door, hugging his father on the way out. "Well, shall we get to work, Aaron?" He nodded and they went into the living room where she began to set up the computers to the best configuration.


	5. Chapter 5

The first week had passed quickly as they had settled into a rhythm of how to get by. The bathing issue was still awkward, but Penelope had managed to make a joke of it, hoping to keep her mind off the reaction he had to her. She'd woken up early the next Monday, and decided to get dressed in the living room before making breakfast for them.

She pulled out a low cut blouse and long skirt, along with undergarments, setting them on the couch so she could easily grab them. As she pulled her pajama top off, she heard a sharp intake of breath. Looking up, she saw Aaron standing there in his boxers, staring at her. Her own eyes slid down his body and she noticed how aroused he was. It was this image that seemed to break through to her frozen brain.

"Oh!" she gasped at last, turning from him to hide her body. "I-I didn't think anyone else was up. Would you turn around so I can at least put my bra on and make myself decent?"

"Oh, of course, sorry," he stammered as well and she finally got the courage to turn back and grab her bra. Hurriedly, she dressed and he asked, "Is it safe for me to look now?"

"Yes, Aaron." He faced her again, his face still as red as hers. "I'm sorry. It's just so early, I thought you'd still be asleep. But hey, you've seen the goods now. That's more than Morgan can say." She laughed, not looking into his eyes.

"You're always doing that around me. Why do you deprecate yourself so?" She kept quiet, sitting on the sofa and staring at the floor. "Penelope?"

"Strauss warned me not to get involved, to make sure no hint of scandal was attached to this special assignment." He took a seat next to her, covering her hand with his. "I've been attracted to you for a long time. And I thought I could keep a tight rein on those feelings. It turns out I was wrong and this is the only way I know to keep them at bay."

"Oh, Pumpkin…" She stilled his voice by squeezing his hand.

"And then you call me that and my heart melts a little more. I don't know how much is you, how much in the pain medication, and how much is my own feelings of desire. That's why I wish one of the others had been willing to help you. I don't think I'm strong enough, Aaron."

She sighed and he pulled her against him. Resting her head against his shoulder, she let the tears she'd been holding in all week fall. "There's no easy way to fix this, Penelope. But I don't want you to be sad, especially because of me. I upset Haley too much, and I don't want you to ever feel the bitterness or sorrow I brought her."

Penelope hesitantly touched his chest, letting her fingers splay out and find the scars near his heart. "We have so much baggage, don't we?"

"Just a little. I'll try harder to make you feel comfortable here. If you want, I'll stop calling you Pumpkin."

"Please, don't stop. I love the nickname. It's the one reminder I have that shouts I'm not a fool."

"You're not the fool, Penny. I am." He placed his hand beneath her chin and slowly raised her face to look him in the eyes. She leaned in and he used the small movement as an opening to lower his head and kiss her. Even though he had morning breath (and she was sure she did, too), his kiss was gloriously sweet and tender.

Breaking the kiss, he rested his forehead against hers. "You should get dressed, Boss Man. I'll make breakfast while you do." She stood and smiled uncertainly down at him. "Do omelets sound good this morning?"

"Yes, though you'll have to make Jack one with just cheese and ham. He's not too keen on them yet." Aaron stood and moved past her to head back to his room. She sighed and went into the kitchen, pulling out eggs, cheese, ham, mushrooms, and peppers from the fridge.

As she prepared Aaron's omelet first, she heard footsteps behind her. "Good morning."

"Morning, Aunt Penny. Is that for me?"

"No, sweetie, I made your father's first. You'll be next, okay?" She turned to look at him and found herself running into Aaron. "There's not much room in here, is there?"

"No. I was just going to get glasses for orange juice. Do you need anything?"

"If you'd put three plates next to me here, that would be wonderful." He nodded and did so before pouring them all juice and taking a seat. In no time at all, she was serving him and then Jack. Finally, she took a seat and found Aaron had waited for her. "You didn't have to wait."

"I wanted to. Besides, good things come to those who wait." He smiled slightly as she took a bite and she smiled back. After they'd finished, he made up a lunch for Jack while she put the dishes in the washer. With that finished, she wandered out into the living room and booted up her laptops, continuing her search from the previous evening.

Jack kissed her cheek before he left for the day and Aaron sank down on the sofa next to her. "Did you take the pain pills this morning?" He shook his head. "Please, take one. I don't want you to be in agony the entire day." He nodded and took the pill bottle out of his pocket, shaking one out onto his palm and then dry swallowed the large pill. "Thank you."

Aaron nodded once more and adjusted his tie. Penelope was still trying to get used to his wearing a long sleeved shirt and tie on top and sweatpants on the bottom. Around noon, they took a break for lunch and she made them sandwiches. She brought hers back into the living room and worked on her current search for Morgan.

"Here, I thought you might like some tea. I only have Earl Grey, I hope you don't mind."

"That's fine," she replied absently, holding up her hand as she stared at her screens. Finally, she found the information he needed and she quickly called him. After giving him the necessary details, she hung up, only to get another call. "Hello?"

"Penelope? Sam Cooper here."

"Sam, what's wrong?" She heard an unusual weariness in his voice and reached out for Aaron's hand, threading her fingers through his.

"I just wanted to let you know, before we got home, that Beth was shot. It was a clean shot, no major damage was done, but she has to have her arm in a sling for a few days or so. I just didn't want the news to come from someone else, especially with what happened to Hotch."

"Thanks Sam. Tell her I hope she heals quickly. Talk to you later." She hung up and fell against Aaron's chest. "Beth was shot. She's going to be okay, but why do you guys keep proving you're human?"

"Because we are, Pumpkin. Sure, we have the training that keeps us somewhat safe, but all the training in the world can't protect us from variables." He rubbed her shoulder and she sighed as he rested his head atop hers. She fell silent as she let his warmth bleed into her. The rhythmic motion of his hand soon lulled her to sleep, her head nestled close to his heart.

When she woke up twenty minutes later, Aaron was sleeping. His arm was still around her shoulders and she fought the urge to snuggle closer to him. After carefully extricating herself from his embrace, she sat up and answered her phone. "Hello?"

"Hey, PG, have you put your phone on silent or something? I've been trying to reach you for the last ten minutes."

"Sorry, Jayje, I sort of fell asleep. I was up early this morning. What can I do for you?"

"Would you mind terribly if Will spelled you this evening for a few hours? I'd like to have supper with my friend and get an update on how everything is going."

"Let me check with Aaron." She set the phone down and gently shook him. He cracked open his eyes and she smiled at him. "Hey, Jayje wants to know if I can go out with her tonight. She'll leave Will here to spell me. Would that be okay?"

He nodded. "You're not chained here, Pumpkin."

"I know. I just worry about you." Penelope picked up the phone again. "That would be fine, JJ. I'll see you about six, then?"

"Sure." They hung up and she fell back against him once more.

"Do you want to do your exercises before or after I leave?"

"Let's get them done now." They sat up and she began to manipulate his arms, following the rhythm they'd developed. She sighed when they'd finished and flopped back against the couch. "What is it?"

"I never realized I was such a homebody. I just want to stay here tonight and curl up with a good game, listening to Jack talk about how his school day went." She looked up at him and he just shook his head, bending slightly to kiss her. She looked away quickly, knowing she'd be lost if his lips touched hers once more that day. "So, do you want me to get anything while I'm out? I can turn this into a shopping trip as well."

"Pumpkin, enjoy your time with JJ. I'll be fine and besides, Jessica is still getting groceries for us. I think she feels guilty for not stepping up like you have."

Penelope relaxed into him, letting his hands play with her hair. "Boss Man, why did you wait so long to have Jack?" She heard him suck in a deep breath and wondered what nerve she'd hit.

"He was the first baby that wanted to stay." His hand tightened around a hank of hair, tugging gently. "I never talked about it, but we lost two babies before him. When he came, it was a miracle, but it wasn't enough to keep up together. I think, on some level, Haley blamed me for the miscarriages, since she always worried about me."

"Aaron, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have pried. It's just, you're such a good dad, I've always wondered why there was only Jack." She looked at her hands, trying to keep herself from crying.

"There was no way you could know. And maybe someday the woman I adore will agree to be the mother of my children." His hand slipped down to her shoulder, squeezing slightly.

"Maybe so, Boss Man," she stammered, jumping up from the couch. "Do you want me to make you anything to eat before I go? I'm a little hungry." She saw the look in his eyes and blushed. "For food! I'm hungry for food. What do you want me make?"

"Sandwiches?"

"Again? We had those just a little bit ago."

"They're my old standby when I can't have what I want."

She swallowed hard and nodded. "Sandwiches it is then." She escaped out to the kitchen and quickly made up ham and cheese sandwiches for the both of them. After slicing up an apple and putting half on each plate, she went back to the living room. "Here we go." She set the plates on the coffee table and then say down as far from Aaron as she could, not wanting to set herself up once more.

"You never talk about your family any more, Penelope. What happened?"

She bit her cheek, looking over at him from the corner of her eye. "You don't hold back. I'd thought there was hope for resolution with my brothers. They didn't like that my best friend was a man like Morgan. It didn't fit their worldview, I guess. I wouldn't back down, so they decided to cut contact with me. Their loss."

"And yours. They're your family."

"No. You guys are my family, now." She smiled at him wistfully and began to eat. "And how's Sam?"

"You're the one who talked to him last. You tell me."

She saw his face turn red as he took a bite of an apple slice. "See, Aaron. That's what I mean. Apart from Derek, when was the last time we've seen our real families? We're so busy, focused on keeping our loved ones safe by stopping the bad guys. We make our own family, honey. I really wouldn't want it any other way. You are an amazing group of people."

"You're pretty amazing yourself." Aaron reached out and covered her hand with his. Sighing, she shook her head and finished her food, updating some more searches as she did. "I guess I just never realized how much you do. This past week has been quite the eye opener."

"Eh, I only have three teams right now and a special assignment for Chief Strauss. Good hackers are a God-send she said when she asked me to keep an eye on her daughter's boyfriend."

"What?" He looked at her in shock and she clapped her hand over her mouth.

"No one's supposed to know about that. It's why she took that leave of absence earlier this summer." She smiled in nervous horror as the enormity of her gaffe dawned on her. "You didn't hear that, are we clear?"

He nodded, chuckling lowly as he picked up their plates. "My lips are sealed, Pumpkin," he said as he went into the kitchen.

"Frak, that was close,: she muttered as she checked her work email. "She would kill me if anyone found out about the things that went on a few months ago." She emailed Strauss back about the new information she'd found and closed down her search engines. Picking up her personal laptop, she called up the game she was currently in the middle of and immersed herself in the fantasy world.

"Is it going any better today than yesterday?" he asked he watched her play.

"A little. But that's the fun of the game." He sat next to her once more and she turned her body so that her legs were stretched out over his lap. "You don't mind this?"

"No." She giggled slightly as he scratched the top of her feet gently. As Aaron's hand slowly crept up her leg, she looked at him over the top of her screen. He shrugged, letting his hands slide back down to her feet. "Sorry."

"I need to keep my concentration, Aaron. This is a hard level." She smiled at him and then went back to her game. After a few hours, she heard the door open and she looked up to see Jack and Jessica come in. "Hey Jack. Did you have a good day at school?"

"Uh huh." He came over and looked at her screen. "Oh, hey, my friend plays this game. He's stick on level five. Is that level twelve?"

"Yeah, I just got there today. Hi Jessica."

"Hello Penelope, Aaron. I hope everything's going well."

"So far it is. Thanks for picking up the groceries."

"No problem. I'll see you tomorrow." She went to leave when someone knocked on the door. "I'll get it." She went to the door and looked through the peephole. "I think it's JJ." As she opened the door, Henry came running in, showing Jack his latest superhero toy. They took off for the bedroom while JJ laughed.

"I brought pizza," Will said as he shut the door behind Jessica. "I'll go set it on the counter."

"Are you ready to head out, PG?"

"Sure, Jayje." She stood and set the laptop on the coffee table, grabbing her purse. "Don't wait up, Aaron. Who knows how long we'll be." She winked at him and hooked arms with her friend.

Once they'd put their order in at the little café they loved, JJ looked at her seriously. "How are things going?"

"Aaron's arm is getting stronger, little by little. He's still in a lot of pain, though he tried to hide it. He wants to be strong for Jack, prove he's still a superhero to him."

"And what about to you?"

"Oh, I know he's my superhero." She saw JJ narrow her eyes slightly. "I'm being careful, Jayje. We haven't done anything yet. The worst that's happened is he's walked in on me topless." She blushed and sipped at her soda.

"You're playing with fire, Pen."

"Don't you think I know that? Every fiber in my body is crying out for his touch, his lips. And I hold myself back and I tell myself that this can't happen since we'd both be out of jobs and I wouldn't see my family much anymore, but God help me, I still want him. He's an amazing kisser."

JJ just shook her head slowly. "You've lost, Penny. Just be careful not to wear your heart on your sleeve when you two come back. Strauss would be able to ferret that out in a heartbeat."

"We've only shared one kiss."

"Kisses lead to other things and you know that." JJ grabbed hold of her hand, squeezing tightly. "I've only been back a short time, I don't want to lose you to bureaucratic nonsense."

Penelope nodded and while they ate, they talked about Henry and Jack. Though it was after eight when they got back, Jack was still up, playing on her laptop. She said goodbye to JJ and Will and then sat next to him. "I beat level twelve for you, Aunt Penny." He beamed up at her. "Level thirteen was too hard, though, so I went on to another game."

She ruffled his hair and looked over at Aaron. "That's great, Jack. Though you should head to bed now. Light's off at nine, you've school in the morning." He nodded and kissed her cheek and then Aaron's before running off. "Did you have a good time with Will?"

"Yeah. We watched the kids play more than anything. How about you?"

"Talking with JJ is fun, but I couldn't wait to get back here." She snuggled up close to him, sighing when his good arm wrapped around her shoulders. A peaceful silence fell over them as he rubbed her shoulder and she couldn't help but feel like she was home.


	6. Chapter 6

"We go back to work tomorrow. Can you believe four weeks have gone by already?" Penelope asked as she sat down next to Aaron on the sofa. She snuggled close to him, having grown accustomed to the easy intimacy that had developed between them over the days they'd been together.

"And we don't even have to work today. There's no case to get to. What should we do with ourselves?"

"Wake Jack up, get breakfast, and then go for a walk to the park?"

"Sounds like a plan." He kissed her forehead, and she relished the sweet touch, knowing the morning would change everything. He stood and went over to the hall. "Why don't you start the oatmeal while I get him?"

She nodded and went into the kitchen, pulling out a pan and putting three packages of apple cinnamon oatmeal in and adding water. In no time at all, it seemed, Jack and Aaron were joining her in the kitchen. Jack set the table while Aaron poured them all juice. "Today's my last day with you, kiddo. What do you want for lunch when we get back from the park?" she asked as she served the oatmeal, smiling at Jack.

"I want oyu to stay forever, Aunt Penny. I like it with you here."

"You knew I was leaving from the start."

"Doesn't make it any easier," he muttered under his breath and Penelope squeezed his shoulder gently as she set the pan back on the counter. "I want to go to Pizza Express."

Penelope met Aaron's eyes and he shrugged. "Okay, if that's what you want." They ate quickly and soon, Jack was putting the dishes in the washer while Aaron went and got their coats. His hands lingered on Penelope's shoulders and she leaned back against him, breathing in his aftershave, a sad smile spreading across her face. "Let's head out." Once on the sidewalk they held hands, looking like the couple Penelope wanted them to be.

Since it was a cooler morning, the park was deserted and Jack ran over to the swing set. "Come swing with me, Aunt Penny!" he called out, pushing off. She sat down next to him and rocked back and forth a little. "Go higher."

Grinning, she began to move a little faster and then delighted in the feel of Aaron pushing her. She hadn't swung in so long she'd forgotten the breathless feel of flying through the air, the small way her heart stopped when she glided backwards, unable to see who or what was behind her.

Aaron joined them on a third swing. "Let's have a contest to see who can swing the highest."

"You're on, Boss Man." Jack giggled and pumped his little legs all the harder. She looked over at Aaron and nodded, knowing they were going to let Jack win. Soon, she let herself slow down, feeling her calves burn from the exercise.

"Is that all you got, Aunt Penny?" Jack challenged and she nodded slightly. He grinned at her. "Looks like it's just me and Daddy, then." She stepped off the swing to sit on the bench in front of the swing set, watching them. Pulling out her cell phone, she took a few pictures to keep her memory of this happy time fresh in her mind.

After winning, Jack ran up to her, panting. "Did you have fun, sweetie?" He nodded and wrapped his arm around her waist, hugging her tightly. "Go play on the castle. Your father and I will watch you from here." He took off again and she smiled as he jumped up on the monkey bars. Aaron sat next to her and she held out her hand for his. He threaded his fingers through hers and she rested her head on his shoulder.

"I wish we didn't have obligations to keep."

"I wish we could stay like this forever," she continued, sighing slightly. "If I weren't such a bad liar, I would stay in a heartbeat." She looked up at him and he lowered his face, kissing her sweetly. She melted into the kiss, reaching up to bury her hand in his hair. Both were breathing heavily when he lifted his head. "JJ knows I've kissed you."

"She won't tell anyone. It's hard to keep secrets from your family, though. Morgan's going to think we've been intimate." His cheeks turned pink slightly and she fought to suppress a giggle. "And then there's Strauss."

"She finds scandal even where there is none. Look at Anderson and Gina." She curled her hand around his once more. "Then again, they managed to make it work. But we can't break up our family and that's the only solution we're faced with. This really sucks, you know."

"I know." His grip on her hand tightened and they watched Jack play for a while more. "Are you ready for lunch, buddy?" he asked as Jack ran up to them. He nodded and they stood, walking back to the apartment. Penelope helped Jack into his booster seat while Aaron got in.

Pizza Express was packed for a Sunday afternoon and while Aaron put their order in, she and Jack found a seat. "Go play some games while we wait for the food," she said, digging out as many quarters as she could from her purse. "Come back when those run out."

He nodded and disappeared out into the throng of people. "It'll be about twenty five minutes until the pizza's here I got you pink lemonade, we didn't drink any soda this month, so I have no idea what you like."

"This is fine, Aaron." He sat down next to her and she couldn't help but scoot closer until their thighs were touching. She couldn't seem to find anything to say, and usually she couldn't stop talking. Today was so different.

"Would it be easier if Jack spent the night at Jessica's? That way, he could say goodbye tonight and it won't be a big production in the morning. I don't want either of you to start the day in tears." She looked up at him and noticed his eyes had the sad, haunted, look to them once more.

"That would be fine. You can help me pack everything up when we get home." She tried to smile sunnily, but knew she'd failed when he sighed and patted her leg. _Ask me to stay_ her heart screamed, _and I'll say yes. Damn the consequences, I'd do anything to stay with you!_

The food came and Aaron found Jack while she put a slice on each plate. As Jack wolfed down his pizza, they watched him, picking at their own. "All right, thirty more minutes of games and then we're off to Aunt Jessica's, okay?"

"Okay." Jack forehead wrinkled a little before he went to play once more. The time passed by quickly and while Aaron boxed up the remains of the pizza, she went up with Jack to turn in his tickets. "There's nothing here I want," he lied, looking longingly at the dinosaur figures. "You're leaving me, and there's nothing here that can change that."

She sank to her knees, opening her arms as he burst into tears. "Oh sweetie, please don't break my heart like this. I don't want to leave you, either." They hugged for a long moment and then she let go of him. "Go on, get two dinosaurs and I'll keep one on my desk and you keep yours on your windowsill and every time we look at them, we'll think of each other, okay?" He nodded slowly and did as she suggested, handing her the triceratops figure.

"I love you, Aunt Penny," he said, clinging to her.

"I love you, too, Jack." They walked over to where Aaron was and he ushered them out to the car. The drive to Jessica's seemed to take forever and Jack hugged her one more time before Aaron brought him inside. While they were gone, she gave in to her tears, knowing she'd see Jack again, but not soon enough.

Aaron climbed in the car once more and turned to her. "Pumpkin, it's going to be okay." That started her crying once more and she fell into his open arms, letting him rub her back as she cried. Finally, she was calm enough to let go of him and he drove back home. "We're…back."

She nodded and got out of the car, following him up to the apartment. "We should pack up the equipment first," Penelope said, picking up a cord and winding it around her arm. He followed suit and brought his cord over to her when it was finished, bumping her hip slightly. She smiled at him and took down the laptop from her "office", putting it in the bag.

"I suppose I should gather up all your clothes. That should take an hour or so."

"Hey, I only brought essentials with me. There's also a load still in the laundry. Go grab that while I decide what I'm going to wear tomorrow."

"Wear purple. It looks lovely on you," Aaron said as he went out to the laundry room. She flushed at the compliment and dug through her clothes to find a deep purple skirt, white ruffled blouse, and matching undergarments. She folded everything and left it on the coffee table as she repacked the rest of her belongings.

He reappeared with the laundry basket minutes later, her clothes all folded neatly. "Aaron," she said, blushing once more as she noticed her underwear were on top.

"Hey, you don't have anything in here I haven't seen before. Though the garter belt came as a surprise." Penelope realized he was teasing her and smacked his good arm lightly.

"One day, I might even wear it for you."

"Please do." She giggled and began to put the clothes in her bag. Their hands met as he handed her items from the basket, building up the tension in the pit of her stomach. When they'd finished, he piled up her bags at the door so they could pick them up on the way out in the morning.

"So, what do we do now?" she asked as they say on the couch.

Aaron drew her close to him and she rested her head on his chest. "Usually, I'm finishing up paperwork for tomorrow. But Dave and Derek have been doing that these last few weeks. Dave said it was his small way to make our lives easier." Penelope snorted. "I guess we could watch a movie, if you're in the mood for kid's flicks."

"Oh, Boss Man, don't worry, I can use my Netflix account. Just let me hook up my computer to your TV and we'll be all set." She worked quickly and soon she was choosing a movie to watch.

"The Queen?"

"I'm in the mood for Helen Mirren, but not for anything too far out there." She snuggled up close to him and he pulled a blanket off the back of the sofa, covering them both. When the first movie had finished, she started up Greenfingers and found herself laughing, despite the situation they were in.

At the end of that one, she started Galaxy Quest, suddenly needing the comedy of it, not ready to let this moment end. "Pumpkin," he finally said when she went to start a fourth movie.

"Yes, Aaron?" Penelope looked up into his eyes, meeting his lips halfway. She sighed into the kiss and he slipped his tongue inside, caressing her mouth as she tightened her arms around him. Aaron maneuvered her onto her back, making short work of the buttons on her blouse. She whimpered slightly as he cupped one of her breasts, massaging gently.

"My bedroom?" he said huskily as he broke the kiss, shucking off his polo shirt. She nodded and sat up, holding out her hand to him. He took it and led her down the short hall. Opening the door, he let her go inside first and she slipped the blouse off her shoulders to fall on the floor.

Aaron enveloped her in another embrace, capturing her lips in a hungry kiss. She mewled slightly as he sucked on her lower lip, their hands meeting on the zipper of her skirt. While he undid the skirt, she worked on his pants, pushing them to the floor with his boxers.

"And you're already hard," she whispered, never taking eyes off his cock.

Her hips tipped forward as he slipped his long fingers under her panties, stroking her core. "And you're already wet." Aaron kissed her once more while he took off her bra and panties. "I don't think I can go slow this time, Pumpkin."

"Oh, don't worry," she panted out as he laid her back on the bed, opening her thighs for him. "I can't wait. Please, Aaron."

"But what about…"

"We're both clean, and I'm on the pill. Don't make me wait." Penelope wrapped her legs around his waist, guiding him into her.

"You fit me like a glove," he hissed as he sank into her. All she could do was moan contentedly as he filled her. Though she'd seen him naked, she hadn't expected him to take up so much space in her. And then he was thrusting in and out of her, and all thought fled as she quickly approached orgasm, tightening around him, drawing him in deeper. His hand gently separated her folds to find her clit and he brushed it with his thumb, sending her over the edge.

As she regained her breath, he laid down next to her, wrapping an arm around her waist. "I'm sorry," he whispered, brushing his fingers over her hips. "I think there'll be bruises come morning."

"You're fine." She kissed him, plastering her body against his. She swallowed a giggle as she felt him stir against her thigh. "A little slower this time, lover?"

"Of course, Pumpkin." He helped her to recline against the headboard of the bed and kissed her lips sweetly. When she went to wrap her arms around his neck, he moved away. "None of that, now. It's my turn to pleasure you." He bent in and kissed the tip of her nose, moving up the bridge to follow the curve of one eyebrow. Then he moved down her cheek to nip softly at her chin.

"Don't leave any love marks on me, Aaron. I'm not sure my makeup would cover them."

"Tell them you had a curling iron accident," he replied as he made his way down her neck to suck on the pulse point. His tongue felt so amazing there she had to wonder what he'd feel like suckling her nipples.

She didn't have long to wonder as he cupped her desire-heavy breasts, pinching her nipples as he kissed down the center of her chest, nuzzling the underside of one breast as she squeaked with pleasure. No one had done that before, and she felt her hips buck beneath him. "Aaron, please," she whimpered, burying a hand in his hair, the other slipping between her folds to tease herself.

_This is heaven_, she thought as his warm mouth enclosed one hardened peak, suckling strongly. And then she felt his tongue push her nipple back and forth in time to his mouth and she moaned incoherently, the desire building and building in her. It was almost too much and she felt the orgasm start to crest. Gently, he pulled her hand up from her core to his shoulder and she dug her fingers into his flesh. Without the manipulation of her fingers, the wave just kept building.

Penelope felt his hand close around her other breast, squeezing in that same maddeningly slow rhythm and she was seeing stars. "Aaron!" she keened out as another orgasm swept over her body, bowing her up into him. Releasing her breasts, he began to kiss down her stomach, his hands seeking out erogenous spots on her writhing flesh.

And then he was going down on her, his magical tongue dancing around her clit, coaxing and teasing it as her hips bucked. "Do you like that, Penny?" He was panting, and she nodded, panting too.

She felt her head bob stupidly, unable to make a coherent sentence in her current state. Aaron brought her to that same pinnacle once more and she thought she would pass out as blackness began to creep upon the edge of her sight. He must have sensed how close she was to the precipice because he maneuvered himself between her thighs once more, thrusting slowly in and out of her pliant body, prolonging the pleasure.

"Oh, oh, Aaron," she moaned, raking her nails up and down his back as she kept going higher and higher. And then the world shattered and she was falling, collapsing on the bed, Aaron on top of her, running his hands through her hair.

"Penny, you're amazing." She smiled through her tears as he kissed her temple, pulling her closely to him. "How am I going to give you up tomorrow?"

"I'm asking myself the same thing, honey." She wrapped her arms around his waist, moving beneath him slightly so that his hips weren't digging into hers quite so much. By doing so, she found they fit together perfectly and she could have wept once again.

"We'll figure something out, I promise. There has to be a way to stay like this." He kissed her softly once more and she yawned a little. "Have I worn you out, Pumpkin?"

"Maybe slightly. It's been a drought since Kevin left. And you blew him out of the water." Grinning saucily at Aaron, she kissed him, nipping at his lip. "Just hold me until we fall asleep?"

"Anything for you, Penelope." He pulled her as close to him as he could and she sighed as she felt his head come to rest on top of hers.

His breathing had started to even out and so she thought it safe to confess her feelings for him. "I love you, Aaron Hotchner. God help me, but I do." She buried her face in his shoulder and gave in to her weeping. She gasped slightly as she felt his hand gently rub her back. "You weren't supposed to hear that," she whispered.

"But I did. And I do, too." She sucked in a breath and wrapped her arms tightly around his waist, not daring to look in his eyes. "We'll make this work, I promise."

Nodding, she fell asleep against him, her heart heavy and full of love.


	7. Chapter 7

"Penelope, before we leave, would you show me that thing on your computer one more time?" Aaron smiled slightly at her and she nodded.

"Of course, just follow me, Sir." The words sounded stilted to her own ears, but so far, no one on their team had guessed what they were to each other. True, it had only been two days, but everything had worked so far. Aaron put his hand on the small of her back and led her over to the tech cave.

"You're going home to Jack tonight?" he asked once the door was closed.

"If you want me to. I'll need a key to get in the apartment, though." He held out his hand and she held her palm up, only for Aaron to drop a shiny silver key in her hand. "Thank you, Aaron."

"No problem, Pumpkin. I'll see you in a few days." He bent and kissed her sweetly and she melted against him.

"In a few days, love." He turned and left, and she sank onto her chair, touching her lips and smiling. This was going to be one of the hardest balancing acts of her life. Sighing, she put her Bluetooth in and whirled around to face her monitors. Sam's team was on the ground already in Georgia and needed her to find information out about the three victims so far.

While she worked, she hummed happily under her breath, thinking about how happy Aaron had made her. Even if it were only the one time they were together, she could die happy, knowing that he loved her, just like she loved him. A soft rapping came at her door and she sat up a little straighter, wondering who it could be. "Come in, the door to the Oracle is always open."

"The Oracle, Ms. Garcia?"

She turned to look into Chief Strauss's slightly bemused face. "Hello, Ma'am. What can I do for you?" Penelope gestured to her sofa and watched Strauss sit carefully on the edge of it. Looking vaguely uncomfortable, she crossed her ankles and focused on a spot just above her shoulder.

"First, I wanted to congratulate you on a job well done over this last month. I know it was not easy for you, doing the job of three people, but you exceeded my expectations. Those above me are confident that we'll be able to implement this program for the next time one of our SSAs are injured."

"Thank you, Ma'am. It was my pleasure to perform this task for you. And there was something else you wanted to tell me?"

Strauss nodded, exhaling forcefully. "Have you dug up any more information on the cult? The therapist is getting nowhere with Courtney. She doesn't even respond to her name now." Penelope tried to ignore the glint of tears in the older woman's eyes, knowing she'd react badly if Penelope tried to comfort her.

"No, Ma'am. Without a definite name of a leader, or a town, it's a lot of sifting and digging down rabbit trails. I know you want answers yesterday." She dared a sympathetic smile at Strauss, and she nodded in return.

"I understand, Ms. Garcia. There's only so much you can do with so little to be sure of. I'll have the therapist send you her files, maybe you can find something we missed. If I ever find the bastard who dragged my baby into this waking nightmare…" Her shoulders slumped and she finally looked into Penelope's eyes. "Anyway, thank you, for everything."

Strauss stood and Penelope followed suit, extending her hand to the woman. She was surprised was she clasped it tightly. "I'll try harder, Ma'am. Somehow, I'll find the key that unlocks the horror and brings Courtney back to you and Jeff."

As Penelope watched, Strauss's nostrils flared a little and she blinked rapidly to control her tears. "Why is it I believe you?" she whispered before turning on her heel and fleeing the room. Shaking her head, Penelope took her seat once more and delved into the lives of the victims, searching for something that would help Sam.

By the time her day was finished, she was looking forward to home and Jack. Picking up her go bag, she left the BAU with a smile on her face. She pulled out of the parking lot and drove quickly to the apartment. As she climbed the steps, she felt a little apprehensive about the steps she was taking in becoming a part of Jack's life. Drawing in a deep breath, she unlocked the door and let herself in, hanging her coat on a hook by the door.

"Aunt Penny, we saved supper just for you!" Jack nearly knocked her over as he ran and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Daddy called earlier and told us you'd be here while he was away. I'm so happy!" He pulled her over to the kitchen table and she took a seat, smiling slightly at Jessica.

The other woman looked quickly away, turning back to the oven and stirring the stew she was making. "So, are you going to take Jack to school tomorrow? It's what Aaron or I normally do."

"I-I can," she replied, blanching slightly at the hint of hostility she heard in Jessica's voice. "What time does he need to be there?"

"Early daycare begins at seven. Will that work for you?" Jessica set a bowl down in front of Penelope with a hard smack and smiled with a strained look of contempt in her eyes. Penelope nodded and picked up her spoon, digging in to the meal. Jack copied her, smiling as if he were unaware of the tension in the room.

After the silent meal, Penelope sent Jack to his room with her laptop and she turned on Jessica. "What is your problem?"

"You! You think you can just waltz in here and take over my life. He's my flesh and blood!"

"And you refused to help me with Aaron this last month. I spent a lot of time with my G-men and fell in love. Is that a crime? I can't help that Aaron wants me to be here with Jack while he's away." Penelope felt angry tears prickle her eyes and she took a deep breath. "I can't believe you're being so petty."

"Petty? You think I'm being petty?" Jessica clenched her hands into fists, her face turning red. "Oh that's rich. You'll never replace my sister in their lives, you know. She was the love of his life."

"Please leave before I say something I regret. You're upset, Jessica." Penelope stood her ground, her arms folded across her chest as her eyes narrowed. Jessica shook her head, muttering under her breath as she stomped out, grabbing her coat and purse on the way. Once the door had slammed shut, Penelope felt all the air escape her lungs as she slumped slightly.

"Aunt Penny, why were you fighting with Aunt Jessica?" She turned her head to look at Jack, who peered out form his room, anxiety all over his face. She motioned him over and he was by her side in an instant. "She sounded so angry."

"I'm sorry you heard that, Jack. Aunt Jessica's upset with me because she thinks I'm trying to take both her and your mother's place. You know I would never do that, right? Your momma will always be your momma."

Jack hugged her tightly as he nodded. "But you like Daddy, right?"

"I do, honey. We're trying to figure out how to make everything work with our jobs. Would you mind terribly if I was Daddy's girlfriend?"

"I'd love that, Aunt Penny!" He tugged her over to the sofa and cuddled with her. "Do you think you'll move in with Daddy and me?" He smiled up at her, and she grinned back.

"We haven't talked about that yet. Maybe someday I will. Now, it's getting rather late, get changed for bed." He scampered off to his room and she got up and dug pajamas out of her bag and went to the bathroom, changing quickly. When she came out, Jack was standing in front of the door. "What is it, Jack?"

"Can we have a sleepover in Daddy's room? Sometimes Aunt Jessica lets me."

"I suppose we could." He danced about with glee and she went into Aaron's room and threw back the covers. Jack bounded into the bed and turned to look expectantly at her.

"Aren't you going to join me, Aunt Penny?" She crossed the room and climbed in, pulling the covers over them. Jack yawned as she set the alarm for half past five the next morning. As soon as she was covered up, Jack cuddled close to her. "I love you, Aunt Penny."

"I love you, too, Jack." She kissed his forehead and watched him drift off to sleep before joining him in Slumberland.

Three days later, when the team had returned from their case, Penelope had still not mended the rift with Jessica. If anything, it had grown and the women were barely speaking when Penelope spelled her at the apartment after work. A familiar tapping at her door had her grinning and she whirled around in her chair to face the entrance to her lair. "Come in!" she sung out.

The door opened, revealing Aaron. "Hey Garcia, how'd things go?" he said loudly as he shut the door behind him.

"Not so good, Aaron. I mean, everything's fine with Jack, it's Jessica that I'm having problems with. Did she call you at all?"

"No, she didn't. What's going on?" He took a seat on her sofa and motioned for her to join him.

Looking at the door, she nodded, curling up into him. "She thinks I'm trying to push her and Haley's memory out of your life, and Jack's. I'm not. I love you both with all my heart and I could never do that. Please believe me."

"I do, Pumpkin. I'll never not believe you when you tell me something. Do you think she feels guilty for not doing more to help out last month?" He put his arm around her shoulders and she sighed, kissing his hand.

"I have not clue number one, Boss Man. How do I approach her, though? I don't want to create a rift between you and her. She's been there for you and Jack so much since Haley passed."

He nodded, tugging on her hair lightly. "I should have known that my moving on would be hard for her. My personal life has been stagnant since Haley died. I think Jessica thought I'd be single forever." He sighed. "Are you ready to head home?"

"I guess so, Aaron." They stood and he let go of her as he opened the door of her office. No one else was around and she went out into the bullpen, purse in hand. Not waiting for him to follow, she went out to the elevators and got on the next one available. Also on it was Chief Strauss and they locked eyes.

"Good evening, Ms. Garcia. I heard Agent Hotchner's team made it home safe."

"They did. How's Courtney?"

"The same, unfortunately. I don't suppose you've found out anything yet."

"No, but I have begun sifting through the notes the psychologist sent. There's an abundance of information, so hopefully there's something we missed contained in those papers. Does she at least recognize you?"

As she watched, Strauss bit her lip and looked away. "No, she doesn't any longer. Or at least, she doesn't respond to me anymore. Everyone says it will take time, but time is a luxury for those not waiting. Otherwise, it is a death sentence."

It was the closest Penelope had gotten to the other woman, and she felt her heart break for her. "If you ever need anyone to talk to, my door is always open," she found herself saying, touching the other woman on the elbow. Strauss looked back up at her and Penelope smiled. "Sometimes, you find it easier to say goodbye to each tear and sigh when you tell it to another person."

"Perhaps I'll take you up on that offer, Ms. Garcia." They fell silent, even as Strauss let a few tears slip down her face. Unable to stop herself, Penelope stepped closer to her, clasping her hand gently. Surprisingly, Strauss squeezed her hand tightly, never letting go until the elevator doors opened up to show the parking garage. "Thank you," she whispered, walking out onto the concrete.

Penelope sighed and made her way over to Esther. "That woman may yet learn to be human," she said quietly as she slid behind the wheel of her car. By the time she got home, Aaron was following her and they entered his apartment together.

Jessica was reading to Jack and she looked up at them, a frown flickering over her face. "Oh, you're home."

"Yes, we are. We'll see you tomorrow morning?"

"Of course." Jessica's words were so stiff, and she refused to meet Penelope's eye. "Have a good night." She went to slip past them and put on her coat when Penelope impulsively reached out and hugged her.

"I'm sorry I was rude to you earlier this week. I never want you to feel like you can't be a part of Jack's life." The other woman remained tense until Penelope let go of her. "I know it will take time, but I want us to be a family. I lost my family when I was eighteen, and all I've ever wanted was to start my own. With Aaron, Jack, and you, I've found what I lost all those years ago."

Jessica started crying and she looked at Aaron and then Penelope. "You suck," she said with a watery laugh before hugging her tight. "I'm sorry, too, for being such a bitch. I just didn't plan on losing Jack so quickly."

"You won't. We'll still need you. I do the same job as Aaron, so we have sort of the same hours. I'm just home more than he is. I can't do this without you, and I don't want to, either." Jessica looked at Penelope, her brow furrowed, and nodded. They hugged once more and then Jessica was out the door.

"That went better than I'd hoped it would," Penelope whispered as she wrapped her arm around his waist.

"You're good at making friends with anyone," he replied as he led her into the living room. "Okay Jack, it's time for bed. You're up too late as it is."

"But Daddy…"

"No. You know if you don't get enough sleep, you're cranky in the morning. Now give us kisses."

"Yes, Daddy." He got up and trudged over to them. He hugged Penelope first and she leaned down to kiss his upturned face. Then he went over to his father and stood before him, waiting.

"I love you, Jack," Aaron said as he knelt to hug his son. "Now, sleep tight, okay?"

"Yes, Daddy." Jack hugged his father back and then thumped his way to bed.

Penelope found herself yawning and she let Aaron hook his arm around her waist. "Sorry to be such a party pooper, Aaron. Let's cuddle on the sofa for a little bit." Together, they went and sat down and Aaron turned on the television while she curled up into him. "Is there anything good on?"

"Let's see, it's Monday, so Quantico is on."

"You watch that?"

"Of course. It's hilarious to see how Hollywood views the job we do. What do you say?"

"All right, we'll watch." He was right about the liberties the producers took with their jobs. "Oh, come on. They expect us to believe that the computer tech can find the right J. Smith in like two minutes? Even I would need more information than that."

Aaron chuckled and kissed her forehead. "Suspension of disbelief, sweetheart." She snuggled closer to him and they finished the show and then an episode of NCIS. When that was over, she felt her eyelids droop heavily and looked up at her lover. "What is it, Pumpkin?"

"I don't want to move from this moment in time. I'm so happy."

"I'm happy, too, surprisingly. I never expected to find this contentment once more. Thank you for placating Jessica. I know you didn't have to do that."

"But it's true, I do want her to be a part of our family. This isn't going to be easy, Aaron, no matter how we try to sugarcoat it." She felt him nod against her head.

"And…"

"What?"

"If we're going to be together, I can't lie to you. Emily, well, Emily is coming home to us soon."

"I don't believe in reincarnation, my handsome soul mate."

"No, in the flesh. I, I made it look like she'd died, to escape Doyle."

"Oh." She fell silent, covering his hand with hers as she processed what he was saying. "So, she's alive?" A small smile crept over her face and she looked up at him.

"Yes. You're not angry with me?" He looked confused and she gently laughed.

"No, but I suppose I should be. Emily's alive, though, and she's coming home. Oh, honey, you couldn't give me a greater gift." She pursed her lips and he leaned down to kiss her, cupping her breast with his free hand. "Why don't we go celebrate this?"

"Okay." Aaron helped her up and took her hand, leading her to the bedroom. Once the door was closed, she plastered herself to him, letting him kiss her senseless as they hurriedly took off their clothes. It was a quick, frantic, coupling as they raced each other up the pinnacle of joy and she collapsed atop him, smiling with contentment. "You are gorgeous," he panted out, smoothing her hair.

"So are you, Handsome." She giggled as he flipped her onto her back. "Ready for round two so soon?"

"There's just something about you. What can I say?" He kissed the side of her neck, right below her pulse point as his fingers teased her hard nipples.

Moaning, she opened herself to him, letting him fill her willing body. Just as they were about to climax, one of their phones rang, and he stilled his movements, allowing her to fumble for it. "H-hello," she panted out, squirming under his light touches.

"Ms. Garcia? Why are you answering Agent Hotchner's cell phone?"

The blood drained from her face as she swallowed hard. "Oh, Chief Strauss! I-I…"

"You are in his bed right now, aren't you?" There was an odd heaviness in her voice, as if she were suddenly disappointed in Penelope, and that broke her heart for some reason.

"Yes, Ma'am." She was unable to lie to her boss and she bowed her head as the tears came.

A soft sigh came from the other end of the line. "I'll need to see you two in my office first thing tomorrow morning. I'll just have Sam's team go out on this case tonight that Shepperd brought me. Goodbye."

Turning the phone off, she flipped over and nuzzled into Aaron, knowing their world was about to end come the morning.


	8. Chapter 8

"I should have let you answer last night, Aaron. Everything would have been fine if I had done that." Penelope nervously smoothed her skirt as they rode up the elevator to Strauss's office. All Aaron did was pull her close, rubbing her back absently as they breathed slowly in and out.

"No one else knows, Pumpkin. Maybe she'll just let us off with a verbal warning," he said at last.

"I know she's been nicer since this summer and your special assignment for her. But this is something she can't overlook. She warned me of the heavy repercussions if something like this happened. I still love you, though, and wouldn't change a thing about what happened."

"I still love you, too." The elevator came to a stop and they stepped out, bypassing the bullpen to find the Section Chief's corner office. It was so early that her assistant had not yet arrived, and Penelope took a deep breath as she went and knocked on the door firmly.

"Come in, please," she heard faintly through the door and she gulped, holding tightly to Aaron's hand as he opened it and they went inside. Strauss was staring at a file in front of her. "Sit down, please."

Aaron let her sit first, and then he took the chair closest to the doorway. "You wanted to see us, Chief Strauss?" he asked, his voice measured and controlled.

"That I did, Aaron. I knew there were risks to running a mixed gender experiment such as we did. What I did not realize is how much the two of you would continue to flout the rules set forth by the Bureau. Ms. Garcia, I can understand, since her heart is so very tender. But you? Where was your head in all of this, Aaron?"

"Focused on Penelope. We were thrust into an odd situation, and I let things grow out of hand. But I would not change a single thing about the time we spend together."

Strauss pinned her gaze on Penelope. "And you? What do you have to say for youself?"

"I'm sorry?" Penelope felt like a little girl once more as she looked into those disappointed blue eyes. "I fell in love when I wasn't looking and I never meant for any of this to happen." She felt hot tears splash onto her cheeks and noticed the twitch in Strauss's hand, as if she were stopping herself from comforting Penelope.

"I wish it were just a matter of accepting an apology and moving on. Unfortunately, there must be consequences for actions. The Director was listening in on our call last night, as he wanted to conference with Aaron about the case. Pen – Ms. Garcia, you are suspended without pay for the next two months."

Next to her, Aaron tensed up and he grabbed ahold of her hand. "Erin, this isn't fair, and you know it! What happened to changing, to being a better person?"

"Agent Hotchner, control yourself. Do not say something you'll regret."

He tightened his grip on her hand. "But why is she the only one getting punished? I'm appealing this decision with the Director."

"Would that you could. Those are his orders, and his alone."

"I know a lie when I hear one, Erin."

"Agent Hotchner, you are out of line. I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to suspend you for two weeks. Wait outside for your girlfriend, there are some things we must discuss."

Aaron went to shake his head when Penelope squeezed his hand sharply. He stood and left the room, shutting the door with a little more force than necessary. "I really am sorry, Chief Strauss. I thought I had a handle on my feelings, that this would be easy for me to do. He didn't mean to yell at you, it's just that the painkillers effect his mood so."

Erin held up her hand and Penelope stopped talking, watching her expectantly. "I should have known better, Penelope. But I let you go into a situation that's tested seasoned field agents. And now you're facing the consequences for my mistake. I'm sorry." She seemed so serious, and Penelope couldn't help herself. Leaning forward in her chair, she held out her hand, needing some small dose of comfort on this morning.

Erin clasped her hand, holding on tightly as she looked away. Penelope caught the glint of tears in her eyes and felt her own well up in sympathy. "I'll keep up with Courtney's case, I promise. These next two months, I'll focus solely on her and find you the answers you need."

Those blue eyes met hers once more, and she sucked in a shallow breath at the gratitude there that was quickly masked. "I would very much appreciate that. And perhaps we could have weekly lunch meetings to go over your findings?"

She was reaching out to Penelope and she knew it was her chance to being to rebuild the broken trust. "That would be really lovely, Erin." She smiled slightly and then Erin squeezed her hand ever so slightly.

"I wish I could do something to mitigate these consequences."

"I know, but the fact that you would want to help me out speaks volumes. Shall we get together next Wednesday for our first lunch?"

"That's my free day, so that will work perfectly. How did you know?"

"I'm the Oracle of All Knowing." Her smile widened and she watched the corner of Erin's mouth tick up a little. They stood and walked over to the door. Impulsively, Penelope hugged Erin and felt her stiffen against her before relaxing into the embrace. "This might turn out to be a blessing in disguise." Erin nodded against her shoulder and Penelope tried to put out of her mind the hitched breath she heard.

"I just want my baby back," Erin whispered as she caught her breath, holding onto Penelope for a beat longer than necessary.

"I know." She let go of Erin and opened the door. "I'll be here at 12:30 next Wednesday." Erin nodded and put her hand on the door, looking out across the room without seeing anything. "Come on, honey. I need to pick up some supplies for my time off."

Aaron narrowed his eyes somewhat and took the arm she held out. "Are you really going to help her still? After she suspended you?"

"Yes, I am. It was not her choice to suspend me, that was the Director's doing. You just got a little too angry in there to see she was telling us the truth. It's why she suspended you." Penelope walked closer to him, deliberately bumping hips in an effort to get him to smile. It worked and he fought to tamp it down. "Boss Man, I love you."

"I love you, too, Pumpkin." They went into the bullpen and found it still nearly deserted. Looking up, she saw Dave in his office and grinned.

"We should let him know about our suspensions."

"After we get your laptops." Penelope felt like beaming inside, knowing he had come to terms with her helping Erin. She nodded and they climbed the stairs. Aaron held the bag for her as she stuffed two laptops inside it, along with an external hard drive. "Do you need anything else?"

"A hug would be nice." She held out an arm and he stepped forward, embracing her. "That was perfect. Now, about Rossi."

"Let's go." He led her out of the room and over to the other man's office. Knocking twice, he opened the door and went in. "Morning, Dave."

"Ah, my two favorite people to see. What can I do for you?" he asked lightly.

"Look out for the team while we're gone. I'll be seeing you in two weeks, Dave. Strauss suspended me and Penelope for flouting the frat rules." Aaron wrapped his arm around Penelope's waist protectively and she smiled up at him. "Penelope got a harsher sentence, two months out."

"That order didn't come from Erin, then. Doe the Director know?"

"Why do you ask that, Dave?"

"Because she gave Reid and Seaver a verbal warning about there being eyes everywhere. She's nicer than you realize, Aaron."

"So I'm gathering. She mentioned something about the Director being with her when she found out. I just didn't want to believe her." The grip on her waist tightened and she squeezed him back.

"I'm sure she understands. There have been worse things thought of her." Dave smiled at them. "Use the extra time together to figure out how to act like you're not a couple when you're here. If the two kids could do it, so can you."

Penelope nodded, a grin breaking out over her face. "Will do, Dave. So, how many of you knew what was going to happen?"

"Everyone. The writing was on the wall." She nodded and Aaron led her out, dropping his arm from around her waist. As one, they walked over to the elevators and he pushed the down button.

"Do you want to go get a bite to eat? I'm suddenly starving."

"That's because you didn't eat breakfast. We could stop at that little café on the way home," he replied with a slight smirk.

"The Buenos Dias?" He nodded. "Oh, they do have such yummy food. Let's do that." They rode down to the parking garage in silence, trying to ignore the looks they got from the others just coming in as they were headed out. Aaron opened the car door for her and she slid in. "I hope you realize why I have to help her."

His hands tightened on the steering wheel. "I do, I just don't like that you feel obligated to her."

"How much do you know of what happened this summer?" she asked, staring out the window.

"Only that there was a family issue Strauss had to take care of. How does that relate?"

She sighed, hoping Erin wouldn't mind this small revelation. "I'm working on cleaning up the loose ends from the fallout. You know, sometimes you profilers are really blind to those around you. I saw you go for the jugular back there, and that hurt me. You've given unsubs more kindness than you gave to her. I blamed it on the pain medication, and she bought that lie, Aaron. Now, I want to know why I had to lie for you."

It was his turn to sigh as he turned into the parking lot. "I don't know, Penelope. I was upset at your suspension and let that cloud my judgment. I'm not fully convinced she's changed."

"If you keep looking for the bad in her, she never will change in your eyes. She offered me an olive branch, and I'm taking it." They got out of the car and she wrapped an arm around his waist. "If you only knew what she was going through, honey."

"And you can't tell me what it is." He squeezed her shoulder gently and then opened the door for them.

"How many in your party?" a young woman asked and Aaron held up two fingers. She nodded and led them back to a booth. Penelope slid in first, with Aaron sitting across from her. "Our special this morning is a ham and bacon omelet for $5.95. Your server will be Antonio, and he'll be by in a few minutes to take your order."

Once she'd left, Penelope picked up the menu and looked it over, quickly deciding on the Belgian waffle. Setting the menu aside, she watched Aaron study his choices. "Are you always so thorough?"

"I don't know what I want." He smiled slightly at her.

"Close your eyes and point to something. Everything here sounds delicious." Aaron nodded and did so. "So, what did fate choose for you?"

"The Belgian waffle."

She grinned at him. "Me, too. Great minds think alike."

The waiter came over a few moments later and they placed their order. After it had arrived, Aaron looked up at her, a serious look on his face. "Why don't you move in with Jack and me?"

"I'm sorry?"

"I love you, and we already had a trial run at living together. Jack's used to having you around now, and if I'm honest, so am I."

She felt her smile wobble a little and he reached across the table to take hold of her hand. "But what about work?"

"We'll make it work, Pumpkin. If Dave can be believed, Strauss might be okay with our relationship as long as we're discreet. And no one else will know, since they're working and we're suspended for a little while."

He was so earnest and Penelope nodded. "If you think you can put up with me, I will. What do we tell Jack?"

"We'll know when we see him tonight." The food was quickly finished and Aaron paid. "Now, let's get over to your place and pick some things up."

"There's not going to be room for all my stuff at your place. Yes, my apartment is smaller, but still, I have ten years' worth of things to cram in with your own."

"We'll edit what we can from both places and put the rest in storage. Maybe someday we'll have a house where we can put everything once more."

The sweet promise of a future together bolstered her spirits and she snuggled up close to him as they walked back to the car. "I don't think I could ask for more than this. Right now, you are making me feel so wanted and needed." She turned her head and kissed his cheek lightly. He opened her car door and she got in, humming under her breath.

The ride to her apartment didn't take very long and they walked up the stairs hand in hand. "That's odd," she whispered as she stepped inside her living room.

"What is?" he replied, his hand going for his gun.

"I don't remember leaving this lamp on. I haven't been here in a month or more, maybe I forgot to turn in off, but I was sure I'd turned everything off before I walked out the door." Penelope shivered slightly and he wrapped an arm around her waist. Relishing the warmth and stability he provided, she molded her body to his.

"Maybe you forgot to turn just this one off." She nodded and stepped out of his arms, going to her bedroom. She pulled out a suitcase from the closet and set it on the bed. As she began to take clothes off hangers, he held out his hands and she gave them to him, watching him fold them expertly before putting them inside the bag. "Or does Kevin still have a key to your place?"

"He shouldn't. I changed the locks when he left me." After the closet was finished, she worked on her dresser. As soon as the suitcase was full, she smiled up at him. "Well, this is all I can fit in here for now. We can come back for more later." He nodded and picked up the container. Penelope grabbed some pictures and her canisters of Super 8 film before she followed him out the door.

"You know, I can fit some more stuff in my trunk. Is there anything else you want to take now?"

Looking into his earnest, intense, gaze, she nodded and wrapped her arm around his waist. They climbed the stairs once more and she pointed out her favorite lamps. "Will you take those down while I gather up my jewelry?"

"Sure." He did as asked and she watched him go out the door before heading back into her room to round up all her jewelry and hair accessories. She didn't realize how much she had until she had gathered up two overflowing boxes of baubles. "Are you ready with that?"

"I think so." As he took one of the boxes from her hands, she kissed his cheek. "I love you."

"You keep telling me that today. Why are you so insecure all of a sudden?" His eyes softened as he looked at her and she shrugged. "Don't think you can weasel out of answering me, I've been your boss longer than your lover. I know how to read you."

"I really hate working with profilers at times, you know that? Fine, I'm worried that you'll think I'm more loyal to Erin than I am to you. She's hurting, honey, and I can ease that pain. It doesn't mean I'm going to be BFF's with her."

He nodded. "I know. I've just let my heart trump my head this morning." A small smile spread across his lips. "You do make a great mother, though. To care for her child so." He kissed her temple and they went out to the car.

Penelope spent the rest of the day putting her clothes away in the closet, trying to fit her things in with his. She decided to put out only her favorite clothes, leaving the rest in the suitcase for the time being. Hearing the apartment door open, she went into the hall and saw Jessica bringing Jack in. "Hi, Jessica! Are you busy tonight?" She shook her head. "Do you want to stay for supper?"

"I-I guess I can." Jessica hung up her coat and followed Penelope into the kitchen. "What are we going to have?"

"Spaghetti!" Jack yelled as he bounded into the kitchen.

"If that's what you want, sweetie." Penelope pulled out a box of noodles from the cupboard and began to boil them. "Why don't you go see what Daddy's doing in the living room?" He nodded and took off, leaving the women alone.

"You're moving in, aren't you?"

"Yes. But it doesn't mean we don't need you in our lives. We do."

Jessica nodded sadly. "You two are cute together. He's like his old self again, around you, before everything became so dark in his life." Penelope smiled, feeling her cheeks turn red. "Thank you. Oh, and also, we're suspended from our jobs for the next two weeks, so if you want us to run Jack in, we can. Or we can just keep the routine. The choice is yours."

"I'll still pick him up, make it easy on you."

She smiled at Jessica and was about to say something when Jack ran up to her. "Is it true? Are you staying here forever?"

Penelope looked over his head at Aaron. "Yes. Forever and ever." She wrapped him up in a hug, a bright smile on her face.


	9. Chapter 9

Penelope couldn't wait for her weekly meeting with Erin. It had taken four weeks, but finally, she had a lead for her. It had been something Courtney had murmured in her sleep, the only word she had spoken in nearly six weeks. _Escanaba_. That had led her to search for the word over the internet and she found out it was a town in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. The area surrounding it was open, hardly any civilization once you got past city limits, and the perfect place for hiding something you didn't want found.

She rode the elevator up to the right floor and walked over to the woman's office. Her assistant looked up and smiled. "Chief Strauss will be out in just a few minutes. She's finishing up a conference call with the Director right now."

"Thanks." Penelope sank down on one of the plush chairs and pulled out her phone, playing a few levels of Naught while she waited. The door finally opened and Erin stepped out, dark circles under her eyes. Penelope felt her heart clench a little, seeing how the constant worry was eating at the woman. "Rough night, Erin?"

She nodded and came up to her side. "Just a little. Courtney reacted badly to something someone said to her and they had to sedate her. Are you ready to head out?"

"Yes." Penelope stood and they went back to the elevator bank. A few of Erin's colleagues gave them knowing looks and Penelope fought the urge to slap the smarmy grins off some of the men's faces. "I do have good news for you."

"Finally?"

"Finally. I'll tell you more when we get to O'Doyle's. There I can spread everything out and give you our theory." Erin nodded and moved closer to Penelope's side. A soft smile danced around Penelope's lips as she recognized Erin's need that would ever go unspoken, and she surreptitiously reached out to clasp the other woman's hand.

Erin drove quickly to the restaurant, staying silent the entire time it took to get there. The hostess recognized them by now and sat them in a secluded booth in the back, bringing over their tea and coffee. "Well?" Erin asked impatiently, and Penelope smiled as she pulled out the file she'd put together last night with Aaron's help, laying out the satellite images.

"That shouldn't be there. According to township records, it does not exist. And yet, you can plainly see the series of buildings there. I can't find out any information on who owns the buildings, since there is no owner."

"Then what good is knowing this?" she asked, tears clouding her eyes.

"It's on government land. That's part of the national forest there and that means we have jurisdiction. We could take a team there, Erin, and find out what's going on. We might even find him for you. So, is that good news, or what?"

"It's the best news, Penelope. Thank you so much." She reached across the table and clasped Penelope's hand. "Do you think Aaron's team would agree to help me out there? I want the best to do this, to lead the investigation."

"Get me the warrant, and I know we will." They both looked up to see the man in question and Penelope slid over so he could sit down. "Sorry I'm late, we had to finish up a profile for the Snohomish PD. Penny told me about the break in the case last night, and I wanted to offer our services. I can't guarantee they'll be happy about this, but they'll be willing."

"Oh, thank God. Suddenly, I don't feel like eating."

"I would try, Erin. If I'm right, we'll be going to Michigan later this afternoon." She nodded and they put their order in. Penelope watched Erin pick at her food, knowing the anticipation in her heart had driven off appetite.

"I'm coming with you, Erin, all right?" She looked at Penelope, a soft smile on her lips. "Through all of this ordeal, you've let me stay by your side. Now, when we're so close to finding this last piece in the puzzle, do you really think I'm going to abandon you?"

"No, Penelope, of course not. But you're still on suspension for four more weeks. I can't skirt that, since it came directly from the Director."

"That's why she's coming with us as our technical consultant. She'll be with us in a purely civilian role. And since you won't be able to storm the citadel, so to speak, she'll stay with you." Aaron took a bite and watched her closely. Penelope nodded encouragingly at her and slowly Erin nodded in assent.

"It is going to be lovely to have a friend there with me." Erin clasped her hand once more and Penelope grinned. "Finish your food, I just can't eat another bite." She pulled out her phone and began to text someone, most likely her husband.

"I'm full, too, honey." Penelope pushed aside her half-eaten food and smiled at him. "You know what, we're actually going to have to swing by home and repack our go-bags. It's the dead of winter in Michigan, and I don't know about you, but I want to be warm as we tromp about in the woods."

"Oh, thank you for reminding me. I'll need to do that as well," Erin said, looking up from her phone.

"Why don't you swing by the apartment and then Erin's home while I head back to the office after I finish." The women looked at each other and nodded. Penelope took one more sip of her coffee and then slid out, hugging Aaron before they went out.

"I think it would be best if we head to my home first. It's further out, so we'd always be heading in."

"Whatever you think is best, Erin." Penelope held out her hand and Erin held it as they walked to her car. The drive went quickly, even though Erin was silent until they reached her home.

"Do you want to come up with me?" she asked as she parked in the garage. Penelope nodded and opened the door, following Erin in. "Our room is upstairs, so follow me." Penelope clasped the hand she held out, and let Erin lead her. On the wall of the staircase, she saw pictures of Erin's family and smiled at how much she clearly loved her children.

The bedroom was not anything she'd ever expected to see from Erin. It was romantic and dreamy, the bed covered with a gauzy canopy that reminded Penelope of something from a Victorian fantasy. "This is so lovely, Erin, and totally you."

The woman blushed a little as she set a suitcase on the bed. "Thank you. What would you suggest I wear? I'm not accustomed to going out in the field." Penelope joined her in front of the closet and picked out some long sleeved blouses, handing them over.

"I'd go with jeans, if you have any, as those will be warmest. And tights or pantyhose will hold your body heat in, too. What size are your feet?"

"Eight wide. Why?"

"You can borrow a pair of my Uggs, then. They'll keep your feet nice and toasty. I have no idea how long we'll be outside, waiting, and we don't want to lose any fingers or toes to frostbite." The bag was quickly packed, and then Erin had her step outside for a moment while she changed. Once she'd reappeared in a sweater and dark blue slacks, they made their way downstairs once more.

"Penelope, I just want you to know how much I appreciate this. You've done such hard work on this for me."

"Everyone deserves answers, and I wanted to do this for my friend." She looked over at the other woman and smiled, seeing her return the expression. "When I return to work, can we keep our Wednesday lunch dates? I've grown accustomed to spending the time with you and don't want to give that up."

"I'd like that, Penelope." She put her bag on the backseat of the car and then they drove to the apartment. "I'll pack one of the bags, so we can get this done in half the time?"

"Sounds like a plan to me. We're on the eighth floor." Penelope led her inside and they rode the elevator up to her floor. "I have to enter the security code, so give me a moment, okay?" Erin nodded and watched her punch in the six digit number.

"Are you going to be able to be discreet at work once you come back?" she suddenly asked as they stepped into the bedroom.

"I'm going to try. I love him, Erin, and I don't think I'll be able to give him up, ever. I heard from a friend that you turned a blind eye to Reid and Ashley."

"I did. I understand falling in love, Penny. I did so myself, once upon a time. I'm sorry to say, though, that I'm glad Shepperd overheard." She broke off her statement as she unzipped one of the suitcases.

"I am, too." Erin's head shot up and she grinned at Penelope. "The time off let me help out a dear friend and grow closer to the man I love. I don't think I could have asked for anything more." They began packing the bags and had the task finished in no time at all. "All right, the last things we need are the boots and we can be off."

Penelope led her down to the hall closet and pulled out two nearly identical pairs of Uggs. Handing one pair to Erin, she pulled on the ones still in her hand. Once Erin had finished tying the laces to hers, she armed the alarm again before escorting her friend from the apartment. Erin was quiet during the drive back to the Academy, occasionally glancing over at Penelope as if to assure herself that this was really happening. As Erin parked, she softly said, "What if they say no?"

"They won't. Aaron won't let them. He knows how important this case is to us and to other families like yours. How many parents don't even have the hope you have?" Erin nodded, her eyes strangely wet, and Penelope reached over to rub her shoulder. "I'm glad we're going along for the ride. I want to see this bastard's face when we take him down."

That elicited a feral smile from her friend as she nodded. "There is that. Come on, let's get up to the bullpen." They got out of the car and Erin slung her bag over her shoulder as she picked up Penelope's as well. "I won't be able to thank you enough, Penny. This really does mean the world to me."

"I know it does. When we get back, may I meet Courtney? I feel such a bond with her and yet I've never been in the same room as her."

"That would be nice. I, I hope she'd like a person like you." They made it to the elevators, only to meet Aaron and the others coming out.

"Right on time, ladies," Aaron said, taking his bag from Penelope. "Let's get to the SUV. Our plane leaves in twenty minutes." Erin fell in step with Penelope and she noticed the looks the others gave her. Penelope slung an arm around her waist, drawing her close.

"Everyone knows how important this is to us, right?" she asked, looking Morgan and JJ in their eyes until they nodded. "Good." She opened the door to the SUV and ushered Erin in, taking her bag from her as she did so. "Morgan, be a dear and put these in the back with the others."

He nodded and Penelope sat next to Erin, fastening her seat belt. "They don't have to like me, you know."

"They have to play nice. So, will you show me some pictures of your family? From the few I saw on your wall, they look so happy. How did Courtney get tangled up in all of this?"

Erin gave her a small smile and pulled out her phone, calling up the Facebook app. "And before you ask, it's setup so only I can friend people. We have such a spread out family that it made sense to share our lives this way." She brought up pictures of the last family vacation and they looked over them on the short ride, Erin filling her in a little on the cracks in a seemingly perfect life.

By the time they got on the plane, JJ had joined them in looking at the pictures, showing off her own of Henry. They curled up on the sofa together and looked over each other's shoulders at the pictures. Penelope felt her heart warm a little, seeing how nice JJ was being to her friend.

When they got to Michigan, there were two SUVs waiting for them at the airfield. A tall, dark haired, man stepped outside one of the hangars, coming up to them. "I'm Agent Burns. It's going to be a two hour drive to our headquarters, and I'll drive the lead SUV so that no one gets lost. Agent Hotchner, if you want to ride with me, we'll begin to go over strategy."

He nodded and began to follow the man. Penelope went after them, dragging Erin along. "Ow!" exclaimed Erin as she slid on a patch of ice, going down hard on one knee.

"Erin, are you okay?" she asked frantically, helping the woman to her feet. "I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have been going so fast."

"I'm fine, don't worry." They slowed their pace a little and once safely inside the SUV, Penelope assessed her damages. "I'm not a child who's going to cry at every fall I take."

"I know, hun. But you are bleeding." Erin's eyes widened slightly as she looked at her knee, taking in for the first time the torn slacks and wide gash there. "Is there a first aid kit in the car, Agent Burns?"

"Under the seat you're sitting on, miss."

She nodded and bent over, rooting around underneath the bench until she'd found the small box. Pulling it out, she dug through it until she found some Neosporin and a large bandage. "Put your leg up on mine, so I can take care of that wound."

Erin did as told and Penelope dabbed at the wound delicately, trying to ignore her hisses of pain. Once it was clean, she sprayed some of the Neosporin on it before putting the band aid on. "Is everything okay back there?" Aaron asked, not turning back to see.

"We're fine, Hotch. She's good at taking care of people," Erin replied, reaching out for Penelope's hand after she'd smoothed her pants. Smiling a little, Penelope entwined her fingers with Erin's, holding on the entire time it took for them to get to their base of operations.

She was rather taken aback at the rustic nature of the cabin, and met Aaron's eye in the rearview mirror, giving him a questioning look. "How many bedrooms are in the building?" he asked lowly.

"Two. Be thankful for running water, indoor plumbing, and electricity," Agent Burns said shortly. "I know it's cramped, but we'll only be sleeping here three nights, hopefully. The rest of the time will be spent in reconnaissance and then busting the place. You worked the Cyrus case a few years back, right?"

"Yes, that was my team."

"Good. After you called, I decided that I wanted my SWAT group to work in the same way as there. Unfortunately, we don't have any agents on the inside to help us out." They got out of the car and Penelope went inside, not letting go of Erin's hand. JJ was holding their bags and they found the women's bedroom. There were two beds left, and Penelope quickly claimed the full-sized one.

"Erin and I will sleep here, Jayje. You take the bed next to us." JJ nodded and handed over their bags, setting hers on the bed.

"I'm going to go see when we're planning on meeting for our briefing." Penelope watched her leave and then turned to Erin.

"Do you want to change into different pants and go exploring?"

"That sounds nice." She unzipped her bag and pulled out a pair of jeans. Penelope turned her back as she quickly changed pants. After getting the boots retied, she touched her arm and smiled at Penelope. "Let's head out."

Penelope nodded as she zipped her coat up. Taking out an extra hat and scarf, she tossed them to Erin before putting hers on. They passed by the group, who were huddled around her satellite maps, talking lowly. Only Aaron looked up and he smiled at them. "Be careful out there, you two. It's starting to snow."

"I'll take good care of her, Hotch," Erin replied, smiling back as she opened the door. Neither was really prepared for the frigid blast of air that accompanied the open door and they shivered as they stepped out. "I could never get used to this," her friend chattered out, sticking her hands in her pockets.

"Me, either. It's way to frikkin' cold. Let's get walking, maybe that will warm us up." She held out her elbow and Erin stuck her arm through it before putting her hand back in her pocket. Together, they went down the path into the woods and Penelope felt at such ease in the woods, a quiet peace descending on her soul.

"No matter what happens here, Penny, I'm still going to consider you my friend," she suddenly said when they were about thirty yards down the trail. "Only someone who cared for me would go to these lengths to make sure I was okay." She took a deep breath. "My family means so much to me and you've worked so hard to make us whole."

"I had to, Erin. You know how I lost my family, and I just wanted to make you happy and restored." Penelope felt tears prickle her eyes and pulled herself closer to Erin.

They walked on a little further, struggling to keep on the path that was quickly becoming snow covered. Faintly, through the rustling of the trees, Penelope thought she heard someone cry out. Stilling Erin with a hand to her upper arm, they listened to the ambient noise of the woods and she waited to hear the voice once more.

"Help me." It was a girl's voice, and Penelope gave Erin a concerned look.

"I think it came from up ahead a little bit," her friend responded and they slowly made their way forward, listening for the voice again. "There, that splash of red!"

Penelope looked to where she pointed and saw the red sweater. "Isn't that what Courtney was wearing when she showed up on your doorstep?" Erin nodded and they broke into a run, going over to the girl's side. "Hi, I'm Penelope. Are you hurt?" she asked as they knelt at her side.

The girl shook her head violently and flinched from their touch. Penelope watched tears course down Erin's face and again they reached out, helping her up. "You are safe now," Erin whispered, wrapping an arm around the girl's waist. "We'll bring you home."

Haltingly, they started down the path towards the cabin, a quiet sense of hope filling the air. Penelope knew this was huge and couldn't wait to see Aaron's reaction to their break in the case.


	10. Chapter 10

They were noticed before they got to the cabin and Aaron and Derek approached them, their hands on their guns. "Baby Girl, is everything all right?" he asked as he stopped in front of them.

"No, Sugar. We found her in the woods. Erin said she recognized the sweater. She's one of them." Their eyes locked and Morgan nodded, his posture changing, relaxing. "Would you help us inside? She's freezing." The men nodded and Derek easily picked the young girl up, carrying her into the cabin. He took her into the women's room and settled her onto the bed closest the door.

"Thank you, Agent Morgan," Erin softly said, not taking her eyes off the girl. "You'd better stick close to use while Penelope and I try to talk to her. Courtney was…violent when she returned to us." He nodded and Penelope saw the tight, wounded look that passed over his face. A sad smile flitted across her lips as she realized he was starting to see Erin as a person and that he felt for her.

"What should we do, Erin?" she asked just as softly, watching her friend smooth the tangle of hair back from the girl's face.

"Just follow my lead," she said, looking up at them. There were tears in her eyes, and Penelope nodded, moving closer to the bed. "Can you tell me your name, sweetheart?"

The girl glared at her, shaking her head. Penelope sat on the edge of the bed and went to cover her hand when the girl yanked it back quickly, striking Erin in the face. She winced and hissed in pain, and the girl looked up at her fearfully, as if she was afraid of punishment. "I, I'm sorry," she gasped out.

Those were the first words they'd heard from her mouth and both women nodded. "What happened to you? If you won't tell us your name, will you at least tell us your experience?"

The girl shrugged and turned on her side to face Erin. "You're Courtney's mother, aren't you? She always said you'd come to rescue us someday. They didn't like to hear that, so they hurt he to break her spirit. A rebellious spirit in a woman is an abomination unto the Lord." Her eyes fluttered closed and a few tears slipped down her face. "But you're here now. My name's Anna Grace. I want to go home."

Anna wrapped an arm around Erin's waist, snuggling close to the older woman. Within minutes, she was asleep and the others left the room, not wanting to disturb her further. Once in the kitchen, Morgan handed Penelope a mug of coffee and they sat around the table. "Well, we have our inside person now," he said off-handedly.

"Yes, we do, Sugar Bear. But how are we going to use her? She's scared, didn't you see that?" He nodded as Aaron reached out to squeeze her shoulder. "How should we proceed, Boss Man?"

"Very carefully. Agent Burns, we're going to need a day or two to work this into our profile and strategy. Can you have your people on standby until then?" The other agent nodded and Aaron sighed slightly in relief. "Good. The less unfamiliar faces here, the better for Anna Grace. We'll start with the cognitive interviews tomorrow. Penny, go in and check on them. We'll start supper."

She got up and went into their bedroom. Anna was no longer in the full bed; instead, she was curled up on the floor. Erin was sitting next to her, cradling her head on her lap and singing lowly. "What's up with that?" Penelope asked, looking at the girl.

"They don't sleep in beds. Only the men do. She thought it would make you happy if she was 'asleep' in bed. But once you left, she moved to the floor. It took the psychiatrist three weeks to get Courtney back in bed for the night. Would you grab me a pillow to put under her head?"

Penelope did so, but Anna woke up the moment Erin made a move to leave. "Where are you going?" she asked fearfully, clinging to the hem of Erin's sweater.

"I have to go to the bathroom. Penelope, my friend, will stay with you until I get back. Try to fall asleep again, okay?" Erin smiled kindly at the girl and she slowly nodded. "I'll be right back."

As Erin left the room, Anna watched Penelope from the corner of her eye. "What is it, Anna Grace?"

"I'm kind of cold. May I have a blanket?"

Penelope felt her heart melt for the girl and nodded. Standing up, she pulled the top blanket off their bed and covered the girl up. "Is that better?" she asked as she sat down next to her on the floor.

"Yes, thank you. I'm not tired, Miss Penelope. Will you tell me what's going to happen to me? I don't want to go back there, ever. They hurt you if you don't follow the rules."

"Is that what happened to Courtney?"

Anna looked away from Penelope, tears coursing down her cheeks. "Her husband didn't like her spirit, so he beat her. It was his right as a man to do so. Never hard enough to break her bones or blemish her permanently, though. We're also offerings to God, and He only accepts perfection." She gasped lightly, looking at someone behind Penelope, and threw off the blanket, curling up into a tight ball.

Penelope turned to see Aaron in the doorway. "I was just coming to let you know that supper's waiting. Or should I have JJ run something in for our guest?" He looked sad, and she wondered how much he had overheard.

"One second, my love." He nodded and left and she turned back to Anna. "Sweetie, do you want to eat with me and my friends in the kitchen or would you rather it be Erin and you in here?"

"They won't hurt me?" It was such a loaded question, as Penelope thought about the things the team could ask the girl.

"Physically, no. I cannot promise you that one of them won't say or ask something that will bring up hurtful memories. Erin and I would be right by your side, though, if you choose to go out there." Anna nodded and stood up, holding out her hand to Penelope. "Thank you, Anna Grace."

She nodded and followed Penelope from the room, clutching her hand. Erin was in the hall, waiting for them, and Anna Grace let go of Penelope to hurriedly wrap an arm around her waist, clinging to her. "You will sit by me, right, Miss Erin?"

She nodded, pulling the girl closer. "It's just Erin, sweetheart."

"No. You're my elder and deserve respect. If my husband were to find out…" She bit her lip, starting to cry a little.

"Oh, Anna Grace, sweetie, he can't get you here. He'll never bother you again, I promise." Erin kissed the side of her head, heedless of JJ and Penelope watching them. Penelope was surprised by the tenderness she so easily showed this girl she barely knew, though she suspected Courtney was the reason for it. "Are you ready to go eat?"

"Yes, Erin." The quartet entered the kitchen and all conversation came to a stop as the team focused on Anna. She blushed a little under the scrutiny, huddling closer to Erin.

"Good evening, ladies. I just have to get everything on plates and then we'll be ready. Our choices are somewhat limited, so we're having water or coffee with our meal." Dave smiled at them and Penelope grinned back. Erin and Anna sat at the end of the table, so she decided to take the other side, ensconcing the girl between them. JJ sat across from them, and tried to smile gently.

"So, Will called to good news this afternoon, while you were out walking. Henry made it a whole day at preschool without any accidents. He might finally by potty trained."

"That's a relief, Jennifer. Courtney was so stubborn at that age and refused to be potty-trained. The only way I could get her to do her business in the right place was by making her change her own diaper. Nipped that in the bud right quick. I just pray this baby isn't as stubborn."

Penelope met JJ's gaze, knowing Erin had not told any of them that information before. "Erin, honey, who's the father of Courtney's baby?"

It was Anna, though, who answered. "Not her husband. He had issues with that, I guess. So the All Father came to her in the night and gave her a baby. Or at least, that was the hope. We never knew if she had been lucky enough to carry his child."

Once more, all eyes were on Anna and Erin as a hush fell over the room. "He's not the father?" Erin murmured, tears pooling in her eyes.

Anna shook her head. "Her husband wasn't too happy about sharing her with the All Father, but it was that or stone her for her barren state."

"And are you expecting, Anna Grace?" JJ asked kindly.

"Yes, or I assume I am. I haven't had to go to the Red Room in three months' time. I don't know what my parents will say when I get home, but I can't give up this baby. Is Courtney having a boy?"

Erin swiped at the tears rolling down her cheeks. "No, it's a girl. She's due at the end of February with a little girl."

Anna shuddered and focused on the food Aaron had set in front of her, eating so as to silence her words. Penelope wondered what happened to girl babies at this compound, but figured it was nothing good. Aaron sat across from her and she could feel his eyes boring into her. "What is it, honey?"

"I want to talk after supper. Would that be okay?" She looked over at Erin, who nodded, and she nodded at her lover. "Good. Anna Grace, how old is your husband?"

"Thirty five," she said softly, not looking up from her plate.

"And you are..?"

"Sixteen." She swallowed a sip of water. "I'll be seventeen in April."

"And how many girls are there like you?" Reid asked, his voice tender.

"About twenty or twenty five. There are only a few older women there. The rules are hard to live by. But God's rules should be hard to live by. Nothing easy is worth having."

"How long have you been at the compound?" Rossi asked, looking perplexed by her previous answer.

"Two years. Do you think my parents have stopped looking for me?"

"No one ever stops looking for their child, sweetheart," Erin said lowly, rubbing her back lightly. She nodded and seemed to close in on herself. "We can find them for you, Anna Grace. Penelope is good at things like that." They finished eating and Erin led the girl from the room.

Once they were gone, Aaron focused on her. "This adds a new wrinkle to things. The leader sounds more like a preferential child abuser than some religious lunatic. Two years there and he has Anna Grace terrified of going against 'God's rules' because of the punishment received. Take Erin and Anna Grace back to Quantico, Penelope. This is not going to end well for anyone still inside."

She shook her head. "Erin wants to see you bring this creep to justice, and now, so do I. We're staying, Aaron."

"Please do not argue with me on this one, Penny. I don't often make decisions based on my gut feeling, but this time, that instinct is telling me to send you three far away from this den of horrors."

JJ piped up. "I'd listen to him, PG. Nothing good is going to come of this and you need to focus on finding Anna's parents. I know it would give you guys satisfaction, seeing the monster brought down, but if he were to somehow hurt you…"

Penelope felt her shoulders slump a little. "All right, I'll talk to her about it. I'm not making any promises, since it is her decision, too, but I'll try. I suppose." Standing, she left the room and made her way back to the bedroom. Anna was sitting at the foot of the bed, watching Erin cry. "Erin, what's wrong?"

"Jared just called. Courtney delivered the baby stillborn this afternoon. This is a blessing, right?" Her question was so bitter and Penelope shook her head, sitting next to her on the bed. Erin seemed to deflate against her, curling up into a ball as she wrapped an arm around her waist.

"Aaron wants us to go home while they finish up the case. He has a really hinky feeling about how it all will end. And Courtney needs you now more than ever." Penelope gently rocked back and forth, soothing the woman. She knew tears were the last resort for her, as she was accustomed to doing something about the situation.

"But I want to be there when Aaron takes him down. He raped my daughter!"

"I know you do, hun, but they're not giving us much choice here. We go back at first light." It was a small white lie, but Penelope felt it necessary. A minute passed, but finally Erin nodded against her shoulder. "All right, let's get dressed for bed. Anna Grace, you can borrow one of my pajama sets." They got up and rummaged through their bags, pulling out various nightgowns.

Anna took hers to the bathroom and Erin shrugged, stripping off her sweater and bra before tugging the flannel nightgown over her head. Penelope followed suit, hurriedly changing before pulling back the covers and climbing in. She was shocked when Erin cuddled up next to her, wrapping an arm around her waist. "I just need to pretend tonight."

"Pretend what?"

"That you're my Courtney. Jared said she cried when she held her daughter. She hasn't cried since she escaped this place. Could I have had it wrong all along? Did her boyfriend save her from this?" The arm tightened and Penelope gently turned to face Erin. As Anna slipped back in the room and made her bed on the floor, Penelope cupped Erin's face, wiping away the tears.

"You had no way of knowing what was going on here. Courtney's catatonic and I can only tell so much from satellite pictures. You did your best to protect her, Erin. And when we get home, you're going to be there to pick up the pieces." Erin nodded through her tears and leaned forward, kissing Penelope's cheek softly.

"I'm going to take Anna Grace to my house when we land. Bring your laptop and come with us. Please?"

Penelope smiled at the older woman. "How could I turn down so sweet a request? Though Jessica might want to drop Jack off, if that's okay. She has her own life, after all."

"Certainly. I mean, he's like your son now, since you've been with Aaron all this time. I am glad he's moved on, you know. It was so tragic, losing Haley that way. I have one last favor for him that I can call in." Penelope nodded and let her arm fall around Erin's waist, pulling her closer.

"Erin, have I told you how wonderfully sweet you are?"

"I've never heard that description of me from a coworker before. But thank you. You've been so kind that it's been easy enough to let my guard down around you." Erin smiled at her and then closed her eyes. It didn't take long for her to fall asleep and Penelope looked over her shoulder to see Anna Grace watching them.

"You can join us on the bed, if you'd like," she said softly. "There's still room for you." The girl nodded hesitantly and got in, curling up at the foot of the bed. Penelope knew it was the most she would feel comfortable with and sighed slightly. The quiet of the place kept her up long after Anna had fallen asleep, and so she saw JJ enter the room. "Hey you."

"I thought you all were asleep," she squeaked out, jumping a little.

"There's not enough noise for me. Listen, if at all possible, bring the leader in alive. Don't let him escape justice by pulling a suicide by cop. There are too many lives he's ruined for that to happen." JJ nodded as she changed and Penelope smiled a little.

"So, you're friends with Strauss now?"

"Yeah. She's really sweet, underneath it all. Do you think Emily will mind? I don't want there to be an issue when she comes back to us."

JJ looked at her oddly. "Emily can't come back. She's dead."

"Hotch told me. I understand, you know. Just tell her all the good things about Erin, so she understands."

The other woman nodded as she got into bed. "See you in the morning, PG," she said before quickly falling asleep.

Penelope felt the arm around her waist tighten and she looked into Erin's blue eyes. "Thank you."

"For what?" she asked, puzzled by the softly said words.

"For trying to make me look good. I suppose I could try to be nicer at work, since you're making everyone believe I have a heart. Wouldn't want to live a lie, after all."

"Heaven forbid," Penelope replied with a smile. "I think I'm going to like having you as a friend, Erin Strauss. You kind of kick ass. Now get back to sleep, we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow."

She nodded and they both closed their eyes, giving in to that sweet siren's call.


	11. Chapter 11

Erin and Anna Grace were already on the jet as Penelope said her goodbyes to Aaron. "Now, you're to take him alive. Remember?"

"Yes, Penny."

"And you're to call me the minute he's sitting in the back of a car in handcuffs. Okay?"

"Yes, Penny." He leaned forward and kissed her quickly to stop any further questions she might ask, she was sure of it. "You guys will be the first ones to know once anything happens."

"Thanks you, dear. I know you'll do your best. Stay safe." She kissed him once more and then boarded the plane. "So, what do you remember about your old life?" she asked as she sat down next to Erin, across from Anna Grace.

"Not much, really. I tried to forget as much as I could, so that I wouldn't get homesick." As the girl talked, Penelope took careful notes, knowing any clue might help in finding her parents. "My last name, before they married me to my husband, was Kitson. I don't know if that will help."

"Anything will help, Anna Grace." The girl nodded and then grimaced, covering her mouth with her hand. "The bathroom is at the front of the plane." She got up and ran off, leaving Penelope alone with Erin. "Did you call home this morning?"

"Yes. Jeff said Courtney hasn't stopped crying since the delivery. The hospital is releasing her at ten, so by the time we land, she'll be home. I have no idea how to comfort her, since I only know half her pain."

"You lost a baby?" Penelope asked, covering Erin's hand with her own.

"Two, actually. One before and one after her." Erin's eyes glittered with the tears she refused to shed, though she did clasp Penelope's hand tightly. "I've never been forced to have sex with anyone, to have a baby against my will. I know it happens, and now it's happened to my family. My heart hurts so badly, Penny."

Penelope nodded and tugged the woman closer to her. Erin responded by resting her head on her chest. As Penelope stroked her hair, the tears began to fall and soon a damp spot covered her shirt, right above her heart. "Shh, Erin. Rest on me. Don't hold your grief in, I can handle it," she murmured, hoping Erin would listen to her.

She wasn't a loud crier, but Penelope could feel the force of her sobs as she cried harder. Anna Grace rejoined them and curled up in the seat, staring out the window at the passing clouds. No one moved until they landed and then Erin got up and slipped a pair of sunglasses on to cover up her red-rimmed eyes. Anderson was waiting for them at the airfield, and the went over to the waiting SUV.

"Agent Hotchner called me, Penelope. I'm supposed to take you three right home."

"Thank you, Agent Anderson. We're all headed to my home, if you don't mind." Erin's voice was flinty and Penelope watched the man nod in comical haste. "I suppose I should sit up front so that I can give you directions." Getting in, she was unsurprised that Anna Grace clung to her, throwing nervous glances towards Anderson every so often.

Soon, they were in front of a large, three story house. Anderson idled in the drive while they got out, and she smiled and waved to him as he left. "So, this is home, Erin?"

"Yes." The front door opened and Penelope watched her friend smile a little before taking a halting step forward. Her husband came out and joined them, reaching the group in time to catch Erin as she collapsed.

"It's been a rough few days," Penelope whispered as she followed him inside.

"It's been a rough few months," he replied. "I'm Jeff, by the way. You must be Penelope. My wife has had nothing but good things to say about you, ever since you started at the BAU. Thank you for helping our daughter."

"I had to something, Jeff," she said as they entered a warm, inviting, living room. "Is she doing any better today?"

He shook his head. "No, not really. Though she is beginning to speak. She called me Daddy this morning." Erin stirred in his arms, opening her eyes. "Hey, lovebug. You had me worried there for a second." She snuggled into him, burying her face in his shoulder. "We have guests, lovebug. I need to get them something to drink while you make them welcome."

Penelope heard the gentle chastisement in his voice and watched Erin nod slightly. "All right, Jeff." He set her down on the sofa and then left the room. "So, do you want to call Jessica and have her run Jack over?"

"Maybe in a little while. I should get to work finding Anna Grace's family first." Erin nodded and patted the spots next to her on the sofa and they sat. Penelope pulled her laptop out of her bag and turned it on. "So, you're Anna Grace Kitson and you went missing two years ago. Do you remember what state you grew up in?"

"I tried so hard to forget everything, never believing home was a possibility. I remember snow."

"Okay." Penelope called up the missing persons database and typed in the girl's name. A few minutes later, a match popped up on her screen and she shook her head. "I should have done this before we left. This is you, isn't it?" She held the screen so the girl could look at the picture there.

"That's me! Are my parents still looking for me?"

"Yes, they are. In Michigan. Your mom and dad live in Holland, Michigan. You have a brother…"

"Caleb. And Mother teaches English at the local high school. We were in the community play together, that's how Bryan met me. I wanted to stay for the cast party and Mother didn't, so I told her I'd get a ride with one of my friends. He got me a drink at one point and then everything's fuzzy. I woke up among the women." Her voice trailed off and Erin wrapped an arm around her shoulder.

"Does that website list a phone number for them? I'll make the call." Erin looked at her expectantly and she slowly read the number to her friend so that she could dial it. "Hello, Mrs. Kitson? This is Erin Strauss with the FBI. We've located your daughter. Yes, she's healthy. We're currently at my home in Virginia. Of course you're welcome to come get her, but be warned, she'll most likely have to come back here to testify at some point. I'll explain more when you get here." She smiled at Ann Grace. "Just call this number when you land and I'll pivk you up. Of course."

Erin handed the phone over to the girl and let her chatter on. "It's nice when things like that come easy," Penelope remarked softly.

"Isn't it, though. I'm going to go check on Courtney. Do you want to come with me?"

Penelope heard the hesitancy in her voice, the fear of rejection, and smile sweetly at the woman. "I'd love to." Standing, they made their way over to the door and she slung her arm around Erin's waist. "So, since I've been in your home, will you friend me on Facebook?"

"I suppose I can do that," she replied, guiding her up the stairs. Erin made no move to step out of Penelope's arm, instead moving closer to her, as the stairs were a little narrow. It was close enough that Penelope could hear every hitched breath tear from her friend's throat and she knew Erin was struggling not to cry.

"I promise not to tell anyone that you cry at the drop of a hat." This brought forth a watery laugh from the woman and she tightened her grip on Penelope's waist. "But, once this business with Courtney is finished, we can return to a more normal life. No tears, then."

"Maybe a few." She smiled slightly and turned to look at Penelope. "After all, you'll cry when Aaron proposes, you'll cry when you find out you're pregnant, and then your hormones will take over your body and stupid commercials about absolutely nothing will make you sob like a baby for forty weeks. Penelope Garcia, this is your life."

"Thanks, lovebug."

"Only Jeff calls me that. Do it again and I will make you rue the day you did."

Penelope giggled slightly, hearing no threat in the woman's voice. "No, you won't, you like me too much. I've officially grown on you, katydid."

"I haven't friended you on Facebook yet. Don't push it." She took a deep breath as they reached the top of the stairs. "But thank you." Erin didn't sound so sad anymore, which made Penelope happy. She followed her friend down the hall to the last bedroom and watched Erin open the door, suddenly feeling shy and out of place.

Erin beckoned her into the room and she came, standing behind the chair that Erin sat in. Courtney was sleeping, and Penelope felt her heart ache to see the sorrow still evident on her face. "Your daughter is lovely, Erin. Just like you." Her friend reached up behind her for her hand and she clasped it tightly.

"Courtney, wake up. There's someone I want you to meet." As Penelope watched, the girl opened her eyes, turning her head to look at them.

"Mommy, you're home." Those three words burst the dam on Erin's tears and she nodded as she cried. Courtney sat up and leaned over, throwing her arms around her mother.

"This is my friend, Penny. She helped me to find the man who did this to you. Her team is going to rescue all your friends and make certain the others pay for their crimes." Courtney turned her blue eyes on Penelope, a small smile on her lips.

"I want to name the baby Miriam," she said, turning her focus back on her mother.

Erin nodded as Courtney let go of her to curl up in a ball and face the wall. She looked up at Penelope, tears in her eyes, and Penelope wrapped her hand around her shoulder, squeezing slightly. "Do you want to go back downstairs and check on Anna Grace now?" she asked softly, uncertain of how to comfort Erin.

"All right, Penny. Lead the way." She stood and took hold of Penelope's hand, interlacing their fingers as she pulled her down the stairs. Anna was curled up on the sofa, still talking on the phone.

"Do you think I can start school right where I left off?" Penelope heard her ask, seeing her smile at the answer. "Okay, well, I should let you go, Mom. It's not my cell phone, after all. See you soon. I love you, too." Anna hung up the phone and looked over at them. "I'm hungry."

Erin nodded and let go of Penelope. "I'll start lunch for us then. Do you want to call Jessica and have her run over for a visit? Jack's still in school at this time, right?" Penelope nodded and she left the room.

Once she was gone, Penelope got out her phone and dialed Jessica's number. She picked up on the second ring. "Hello?"

"Hi, Jess, it's me."

"Are you all back already? Usually Aaron calls when he's back early."

"Well, it's kind of weird, actually. He's still in Michigan, overseeing the case. He has a feeling that it won't end well, so he sent me and Erin home. She wants to know if you'd like to come over for lunch."

"I suppose I could. I'll be there in, wait, where are you?"

"At Erin's. It's about sixteen miles from Aaron's apartment, further out from the Academy. I'll text you the address," Penelope said before wrapping up the conversation and going to help Erin in the kitchen.

Lunch was officially awkward, with no one doing much talking besides banal pleasantries. Penelope breathed a sigh of relief when Jessica said she'd keep Jack until Aaron was home to give her time to work out the case with Erin, there. After lunch, Anna Grace went upstairs to check on Courtney while Erin and Penelope washed the dishes and Jeff put them away.

"Well, that went well," Erin said as she handed Penelope a plate to dry.

"You think so? Jessica looked at us as if we'd grown a second head throughout the entire meal. But it did give me a chance to regroup with –"

Penelope's words were cut off by a sharp scream from upstairs. Erin looked at her in panic before dropping the cup she held back in the water and taking off. Penelope followed close behind, Jeff at their heels. "Stop! Mommy!"

"Courtney's room," Erin said lowly, and Penelope nodded. She watched instinct take over Erin and saw her draw her gun, a hard look on her face. Penelope opened the door and gasped to see Anna Grace straddling Courtney, holding a pillow over her face. "Let go of my daughter," Erin ground out, training the gun on the girl.

"No! She failed and must be punished." It dawned on Penelope that the girl was more ill than they had realized. Erin calmly began to pull the trigger and still Anna Grace refused to get up or move.

"For God's sake, Erin, push her out of the way!" Jeff screamed and he barreled into the room, going to knock the girl off the bed. As he did so, Penelope saw the glint of steel and knew Anna Grace had a knife.

"Knife!" she yelled, too late to stop Jeff from getting stabbed. Hurriedly, she felt for her cell phone, only to remember it was downstairs still. Jogging over to Courtney, she yanked the pillow away and felt for a pulse. It was still there and she sighed in relief as Erin's daughter opened her eyes and looked at her fearfully. "Courtney, I need you to find a phone and call 911. Your father has been hurt and I need to help your mother now."

Courtney nodded and scrambled out of bed, running for the door. Penelope joined Erin on the floor and saw she was holding on to Anna, her knuckles white from the force of her grip. "Check Jeff's wound, Penny. I couldn't see where the knife went in."

Penelope nodded and bent over Jeff's prone body, looking for the source of the blood. He smiled up at her weakly and guided her hand to his side and she felt the handle of the knife. Knowing enough not to pull the blade out, she nodded. "Are my girls all right?" he asked lowly.

"They're fine, I think. I sent Courtney to call 911." She returned just as Penelope said that and thrust a phone in her hand. "Hello?"

"Ma'am? Can you tell me what's going on there? There was no answer earlier."

"Yes, we need police and an ambulance sent to this address right away. There's been a man stabbed and we have the perp subdued here. Please hurry, as I'm not sure how bad the wound is. There's a lot of blood."

"All right, I have police en route, the ETA is four minutes. The ambulance will be a little longer, about six minutes. Keep pressure on the wound to slow the blood loss."

"Can I do that if the knife is still in the wound?" she asked, giving Erin a tiny, weak, smile.

"As much as you can, yes. I'll try to get the paramedics to hurry."

'Thank you." They hung up and she set the phone on the bed. "Courtney, can you go downstairs and wait for the police and paramedics?" She nodded and disappeared once more. "Okay, Jeff, this might hurt, but I'm supposed to keep pressure on the wound."

"Whatever you have to do," he hissed as she pushed down, taking care not to cut herself on the blade. Time seemed to slow to a stop as they waited for help to arrive. It seemed like everyone arrived at the same time and she was pushed aside by a paramedic who began to work on Jeff. Courtney hovered around the bed, trying not to watch what was happening without losing sight of her parents.

"I'm going to the hospital with Jeff, Penny. Take care of Courtney while we're gone. I'll call you when I know more." Erin hugged her, kissing her cheek quickly before doing the same with her daughter. Moving to the window, she watched them load Jeff in the back of the ambulance.

She felt a hand on her shoulder and jumped slightly as she turned to face Courtney. "Will Daddy be okay?"

"I think so, Courtney. He was talking to me and the paramedics, so that's a good sign. I'm just sorry this happened to you, especially in light of you losing Miriam yesterday. Do you want to talk about it at all?"

The young woman nodded and sat down on her bed, patting a spot next to her. "Mom fought pretty hard for me. I wanted to speak before now, I just couldn't. Thank you for helping me."

Penelope nodded. "It was my pleasure. Your mom is really nice, Courtney, and this has helped me see her in a new light. And I met you, so that's a plus." She sat down and the girl curled up into her, displaying the same trust Erin had in her.

As they waited for news, Penelope spoke about her work with the FBI and how much she loved what she did. "Did you really find the group that held me?"

"That I did, Courtney. It was wonderful to get some answers and my partner is taking care of business there as we speak. They're coming back here to face trial and if I know anything about your mother, the leader is going to face the full extent of the law." She sighed and hugged the girl close.

The phone rang, startling them, and Penelope answered without thinking. "Hello?" she asked, hoping it was Erin.

"Turn on the television, Penny. You need to see what's happening in Michigan. I am so sorry." Erin sounded heartbroken and she stood, making her way downstairs, looking for the tv. "Living room, right hand side of the wall. We'll be home in two hours. Until then, stay strong."

"Okay, Erin." She felt Courtney come up to her side and wrap an arm around her waist as she flipped on the tv. It was tuned to CNN and all she could see was the smoke billowing from the compound. "Oh my God," she whispered as the phone slipped from her suddenly boneless fingers.


	12. Chapter 12

Somehow Courtney got Penelope over to the couch and they sat heavily. "Maybe he got out before the fire started," she said quietly as they watched the screen.

"I hope so, Courtney," she whispered. And then, three things happened all at once, as the home phone rang, Penelope's cell phone buzzed, and someone knocked on the door. "What now?" she whimpered as she stood, going first to her purse and taking out her cell phone. "Hello?" she asked as she walked to the door. Looking out the window, she saw it was Jessica and she let her in. "Hello?" she asked again, waiting for an answer.

"Penelope, this is Agent Burns."

She led Jessica into the living room and asked, "What's going on, Agent Burns? It looks horrible."

"I know, which is why I'm calling. We're looking for three members of your team still, but Agent Hotchner told me to call and let you know he's okay. A few cracked ribs, he thinks, but nothing serious. I have to go, though." He hung up suddenly and she turned to Jessica, her eyes filling with tears.

"He's hurt, again, Jess. I don't know if I can handle it alone this time."

Jessica helped her to sit on the sofa and wrapped an arm around her waist. "You're not going to be alone, Penelope. I'll take care of Jack like I have been, and if you need me to get groceries and things like that, I can do that, too."

"Okay, thank you." She sighed, looking over at Courtney. The girl was crying quietly and Penelope reached out for her hand, letting her grab onto it tightly. "Your mom will be home soon, sweetie. It sounded like your dad wasn't too terribly injured, thank God. There was just a lot of blood."

"The blood! We haven't cleaned it up! Come on, Penelope, before it sets. If Doug were to come in and see it…" She began to sob and Penelope stood up, pulling the girl to her feet.

"If it will calm you down, let's go do that." Courtney nodded and led Penelope into the kitchen, turning on the hot water as she dug around the cupboard underneath the sink. Jessica soon had her arms full, as Penelope kept handing her the supplies she was given. Once the bucket was full of hot water, Penelope picked it up and they all trooped upstairs.

"How do things go to Hell so quickly?" Jessica asked as she knelt on the floor, scrubbing away at a spot.

"Religious fundamentalism," Penelope replied, shaking her head. "Those people out there are insane. Gideon used to tell me each time we had a case involving religion, any religion, that it made him sick to see people abuse God for their own violent ends. After all I've seen, I'm starting to agree with him more and more."

In no time at all, they had the spots removed and Jessica hugged Penelope tightly. "I have to go pick up Jack now. I'll take him to my place, all right? I'll see you soon."

Penelope could only nod as she sat down on Courtney's bed. "Well, kiddo, it's just you and me now. How are we going to pass the time until your mom and dad get home?"

"I could show you pictures." Courtney smiled shyly at Penelope. "Mom loves to take pictures." Penelope smiled back and let Courtney lead her to a cozy study next to the master bedroom. Penelope sat down on the red velvet settee and Erin's daughter brought over a large leather book. "This is when Mom was just starting at the FBI. They're my favorite pictures of her."

Penelope opened the book and found herself smiling at the picture Erin had chosen for the front page. She was looking up at the camera, a bright smile on her face, as if she knew a secret no one else did. "Who took this?"

"Daddy. He'd just asked her to marry him the night before. I wish she'd grow her hair out long like that again. She looks so pretty with her hair like that."

As Penelope turned the pages, Courtney told the stories behind the pictures and Penelope filed away the information she learned. The time passed quickly, what with her focus being on Erin's past, and they both perked up when they heard feet on the stairs. "Courtney, darling, where are you?"

"In here, Mama!" The door opened and they both smiled at Erin as she entered.

"So, this is where you two holed up. Daddy's downstairs, bean sprout." Courtney jumped up and hugged her mother tightly before running from the room. "I see she's been telling you stories. Did you enjoy what you learned?"

"It helped me get my mind off Michigan. He's hurt again, Katydid. Agent Burns said he has a few cracked ribs, or something. He wasn't really clear when he called. I'm so worried." Erin sat down and Penelope found herself curling up into her. "How's Jeff doing?"

"He'll be okay." Erin ran her fingers through her hair and sighed. "I didn't expect her to do that, you know. I called her parents to let them know what happened. They're taking the next flight out here. I have to press charges, Penny, even though I know she's not well."

"I know, Erin. She almost destroyed your family, almost took the life of two of the most precious people in the world to you." Penelope felt her breath hitch once more and Erin wrapped an arm around her, holding her close as she cried.

"Shh, Penny, you're going to be okay. Aaron's going to make it home and you'll take care of him again. I'll make sure everything works out for you." She felt Erin rock her back and forth gently and she was soon lulled into a light sleep.

When she woke up, it was dark in the room and her head was cradled in Erin's lap. "What time is it?" she asked through a yawn.

"Only 8:30. Courtney's ordering Chinese for all of us, I hope you don't mind." She shook her head and they stood. Penelope stretched, working the kinks out of her back, smiling slightly at Erin. She welcomed the comforting feel of Erin's arm around her waist as they went down to the kitchen. Jeff was sitting at the table already and Courtney was filling a plate for him.

"Hey lovebug, I see you two finally woke up and emerged from the study." They smiled and nodded at him.

"How are you feeling, honey?" Erin asked as she sat next to her husband.

"I'm not going to lie, my side hurts like you wouldn't believe. But I'm here with my two favorite girls, so everything feels great. Oh, you should know, they're still combing the woods for about ten of the cell members. They've found a mass grave, also, behind the compound. When they find the leader, he will never be leaving prison."

"Will they charge me with anything?" Courtney asked softly, staring at her hands.

"Why would they do that, bean sprout?" Erin asked just as softly, taking the plate from her hands and setting it in front of Jeff.

"Well, aren't I an accessory? I saw what was going on there and did nothing." Courtney began to cry a little and Erin stood, wrapping her daughter in a tight hug.

"You never willingly participated. If Anna Grace is to be believed, you fought back with every fiber in your being. I'm so proud of you, Courtney. You survived something so awful." Erin kissed her cheek softly and led her to the seat next to Penelope. "I will protect you, no matter what, bean sprout."

Courtney sat and Penelope leaned over to nudge shoulders with the girl. "Your mom is good at protecting people."

"I know. That's why I love her so." Erin set plates of food down in front of them minutes later and Penelope dug in, finding herself hungrier than she should be, given the situation. "Are you going to be spending the night, Penelope?"

"I don't know, kiddo. I have my Jackers to think of, after all. And I shouldn't really impose on your parents so. It's been a rough few days for them, too. And for you, sweetheart."

"But I like you, Penelope. Mom's told me so much about you, and what you were doing for me. I've already seen that she wasn't exaggerating, and…I just want to keep someone familiar close to me tonight."

Penelope found herself being unable to resist those blue eyes and nodded. "We'll have a sleepover tonight, but I need to see my son tomorrow." Erin's head shot up and they locked eyes. It was then she realized what she'd said and shrugged.

"That didn't take long," she remarked before she took a sip of juice.

"When you spend as much time with them as I have, you get that way. We'll be discreet."

"You're going to have to be, even more so than Dr. Reid and Agent Seaver are. The stakes are going to be a little higher, given your positions. There's only so much that Director Shepperd can overlook, you know."

Penelope nodded as she began to eat, thinking about the challenges they were going to face. When they'd finished eating, she helped Erin load the dishwasher and then they went into the living room. Courtney was curled up on the sofa, looking at a picture of a sonogram and crying softly. Erin sat next to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her close.

Deciding to give them a moment of privacy, Penelope picked up her phone and called Jessica. "Hey you, how's Jack?"

"He's doing okay. Do you want to talk to him?"

"Yes, please." She heard Jessica hand over the phone to Jack and smiled. "Hi buddy. Are you being good for Aunt Jessica?"

"Yes. How's Daddy?" She heard the fear in his voice and tried not to cry. "Aunt Jessica said something happened to him and that you would tell me more."

"Let me first tell you Daddy is going to be okay. He had some ribs cracked, but those heal well. You won't be able to hug him tightly, since that will hurt him, but he will be perfectly fine in time."

"Are you okay, Aunt Penny?"

"Yeah, I am, kiddo. I'm spending the night at my friend Erin's home, okay? I'll be home tomorrow."

"But when will Daddy be home?"

"I'm not sure, baby. As soon as I know, you'll know, I promise." She sighed. "I love you, Jack."

"I love you, too, Aunt Penny."

They hung up and she sat down next to Erin, staring at her phone. It rang suddenly, startling her and she saw it was JJ's number. "Yeah, Jayje?"

"Do you want the good news or the bad news first?" Her voice sounded tired and Penelope longed to hug her tightly.

"I guess give me the bad. Did someone die?"

"Well, I suppose the answer is yes." Penelope gasped. "But not one of us! We're all okay, well, save for Hotch's ribs and Morgan's broken ankle. But will you tell Erin I'm sorry? In the struggle, the leader managed to get hold of Morgan's gun and I had to shoot him before he shot Ashley. It looks like he escaped justice after all."

"Then what's the good news?" Penelope grabbed tightly onto Erin's outstretched hand, needing the comfort.

"We rescued all the young women and children. Not a single one was hurt, either. How's Anna Grace doing? Did you find her parents yet?"

"She's in jail tonight, Jayje. She tried to kill Courtney and Jeff. It seems she drank a little too much of the kool-aid. Watch your backs out there. I don't need another of you hurt."

"What? What about you and Erin? Are you guys okay?"

"We're fine. A little shell-shocked, but then, who wouldn't be? Do you know when you guys are coming home?"

"Tomorrow. Agent Burns and his team are going to handle the investigation from here on out. I think we're going to be grounded for some time. Two members of the team injured will make it hard to be in the field. But I should get going. I just wanted to give you a head's up. See you tomorrow, PG."

"Tomorrow, Jayje." She hung up and set the phone to the side before bursting into tears.

"What's wrong, Penny?" Erin asked as she pulled her close.

"They're coming home tomorrow."

"Well, that's good news," she replied, stroking her hair gently.

"Yes, but Aaron didn't call me. If it's only cracked ribs, why didn't he let me know? I've been so worried, and it's like he doesn't even care. JJ shouldn't've had to tell me that."

"Maybe he thought it would be easier to hear the news from her. He might not want to worry you further." Erin turned and kissed her forehead. "What about the others?"

"Morgan broke his ankle, but the others are okay, I guess. JJ had to shoot the leader, though. He, he was going to shoot Ashley. She didn't want to do it, but he forced her hand. I'm sorry."

Courtney bent forward to look at her. "Then he's dead?"

"Yes. He will never bother you again."

"Thank God." A relived smile spread across her face and she cuddled into her mother as she began to cry. "I don't want to say I wanted him dead, but I'm not sorry he's gone. Do you think I'll have to testify against the others? I'm not sure I want to see any of those people ever again."

"I won't make you any promises, Courtney. But if you want to stay here, I'll see about your being able to send in a video deposition." Erin sighed. "Did the midwife talk to you psychiatrist?"

"She said she would talk to him. I have an appointment tomorrow afternoon, anyway. I hope she's glad I'm finally talking." Courtney yawned and stood up. "I'm going to change now. You'll both be here when I come back, right?"

They nodded and watched her leave. "Call him, Penny."

She looked at Erin, frowning. "If he wanted to talk to me, he would call."

"Quit being a petulant child, Penelope Garcia. You love that man, don't you? Call him."

"Erin!"

"Don't 'Erin' me, Penny. Just call him. Pride can kill a relationship so easily. Don't let that happen to you." Erin grabbed her shoulder lightly and stared into her eyes. "Listen to me, okay?"

"Yes, Ma'am," she replied meekly, feeling tears prickle her eyes.

"Penelope?" she questioned, smiling slightly.

"Yes, Erin." She smiled back at her and picked up her phone. With a trembling hand, she dialed his number and waited for him to pick up. Hearing his breathing on the other end, she said, "Aaron?"

"Hey, pumpkin. Is everything okay there?"

He sounded tired and she felt tears slip down her cheeks. "We're okay, just a few injuries. It was only a flesh wound."

"That's what the Black Knight said." She couldn't help but giggle, feeling slightly better for his joke. "JJ told me that Anna tried to kill Erin's family. Would you tell her how sorry I am?"

"Of course, Aaron. I'm spending the night here and going home in the morning. Everything is going to be fine. I love you."

"I love you, too, pumpkin. See you tomorrow."

"Tomorrow." They hung up and she snuggled back into the couch, pulling Erin's arm around her shoulders. "He loves me, Erin."

"See, don't you feel better now?"

"Yeah, I do. Thank you." She bit her lip. "Do you think I'd be a good mom?"

"Are you pregnant?"

"God, no. I'm on birth control. It's just, I've been thinking of telling him I want to try for a baby. Or should we wait until we're married?"

"You've only been together a short time. Are you sure it's going to last?"

"Sometimes you just know, Mom." They both looked up at Courtney and Penelope smiled. "Isn't that what you said about Daddy?" Erin blushed faintly and nodded, looking away from both of them.

"Do tell, Erin." Penelope winked at Courtney and patted the empty spot next to her.

"Yeah, tell Penelope about how you and Daddy fell in love."

"I have two incorrigible children tonight," she said lovingly. "Fine. I met Jeff at a fundraiser ball for the FBI. He was actually the date of another woman, but somehow his wine found a way onto my gown. And it was a gorgeous Armani Privé gown, too. He was mortified and escorted me to the washroom, trying to get the stain out for me. We were married six months later."

"And Christina was born six months after that," Courtney added with a giggle that turned into a choked sob. "I miss my baby," she whispered, and Penelope wrapped an arm around her shoulders, drawing her close.

"And I know your momma will help you out, honey. Lean on us. We'll carry you through this." Courtney nodded and fell asleep on her shoulders. "I guess you're going to have to keep me now, Erin."

"I guess," she replied, a gentle smile on her lips.


	13. Chapter 13

"Are you sure you want to go into the office today? The Director said you could take this week off." Penelope looked up at him as he adjusted him tie. "It would be nice to spend some extra time with you."

"We wiled away the weekend, Penny. I need to get back to work. I have to look over the questions sent by the prosecutor's office for Courtney's deposition." He leaned down and kissed her gently. "Remember, we're having supper at the Strauss home."

"I know. I arranged it." She sat up and stretched, watching him watch her appreciatively. "I'll see you at five, Boss Man." He nodded and left the room. Penelope flopped back onto the bed and stared up at the ceiling. Three more weeks and she could go back to work. She was beginning to go a little stir crazy. There was only so much one could do on the internet.

Getting up, she padded over to the closet and pulled out a purple polka dotted dress. She carried it into the bathroom and hung it on the door. Stripping off her nightclothes, she put them in the hamper before stepping into the shower. The warm water soothed her and she smiled as she got out. After she'd pulled a fluffy towel around her body, she worked lotion into her heels and elbows.

Once she'd gotten dressed, she went out to the kitchen and as she opened the refrigerator there came a knocking at the door. Going over, she looked out and saw it was Jessica. Smiling, she opened the door, only to be pushed aside by a tall, large, man. "Who are you?"

"Didn't you do your homework, Mrs. Hotchner? I'm the one who your husband's team tried ot kill last week."

"No, JJ shot you, twice. She told me you died."

"In the chaos, I was able to slip away. God always protects His children. And now your husband is going to know what it is like to lose his wives and child."

"You have Jack?" she asked fearfully, trying to move closer to Jessica.

"He's waiting in the car. Come on, let's go." Penelope followed him meekly as she saw the gun that was pressed deep in Jessica's side. The vehicle was still running and the man shoved them into the back. Penelope wrapped Jack up in her arms, wracking her brain for what to do next. Her team was down two members, and she had no way of knowing if Sam's team was home currently.

"Let us go," Jessica hissed and he looked at them in the rearview mirror. His eyes were dead and Penelope shivered. "Please? None of us will say anything. You can just go about your business…"

"Shut up, you slattern!" His voice, though strident, was low and controlled and Jessica reached for her hand, clasping it tightly. Eventually, they pulled into the parking lot of a ritzy hotel. It was not what she had expected and she felt another stab of fear in the pit of her stomach.

The man put the gun into Jessica's side once more and led them up to a suite of rooms. Roughly, he tore Jack out of Penelope's arm and marched him into the adjoining room. Penelope huddled close to Jessica as she listened to her son scream and rail against the assailant. A loud slap caused her to turn into Jessica, hugging her tightly as Jack's cries lessened.

A few minutes later, he returned, a cold smile on his face. "Didn't you teach that whelp of yours any manners? Spare the rod and spoil the child. And it's obvious you have spared the rod on so many occasions with him."

"He's a child! You don't hit children!" Jessica screamed at the lunatic and Penelope winced, knowing another blow would be coming from his hand. Moments later, she felt the strike on Jessica, as it nearly knocked her off her feet. Another blow came to her own head, mercifully causing Penelope to pass out and she welcomed the blackness.

When she woke up, she was tied to a chair, a gag in her mouth. Looking around frantically, she found Jessica next to her, a horrible metal contraption on her head. Blood dribbled from her mouth and Penelope began to cry at the sight of her. The man came back into view just then, dragging Jack alongside him.

"Your whelp is clever, just like his mother. The police are on their way here already." He threw Jack in her direction and she nuzzled her face into his hair as he hugged her tightly. "This changes everything."

"It shouldn't. Daddy will never let you get away with hurting us!" Jack said angrily, tightening his grip on Penelope. Outside, she began to hear sirens wailing and prayed their rescue was near. "See, here he comes now."

The man began to wave his gun around wildly and Penelope whimpered, knowing his instability was growing. "Shut up! By the time he gets here, it will be too late." He moved away from the windows and Penelope's shoulders slumped a little, knowing now a sniper would be unable to make a shot.

"We were fine out there in the wilds of Michigan, not hurting anyone. This country was built on religious freedom and that's what we were practicing." Penelope glared at him and he laughed. "You don't get it. Women are the vessels that carry future leaders like me. You're nothing except when we fill you. Agent Hotchner has been lax in this area, given he only has one success and no failures. And let me tell you, breeding with either of you would be repugnant. A mouthy bitch and a gluttonous whore. Not like the breeding stock I picked."

Penelope shuddered at his tone and tried to lean over jack, to protect him from the violence of this horrid man. The phone began to ring and they all stared at it in anticipation. "Aren't you going to answer that?" Jack asked. The man turned from the phone to face them, pulling Penelope's gag out. She took her first deep breath in hours and smiled at her son, trying not to cry.

"Thank you," she whispered as the phone was picked up, deciding to try to lull him into a false sense of security by seeming meek.

"This is Terry Silverthorne," he answered, and she finally had a name to put with his evil face. "Yes, Agent Hotchner, I have them both. And your son. I haven't decided what my demands are going to be. Call back in one hour." Terry hung up and looked at them once more. "I can't believe he wants to negotiate. Doesn't he realize he's not getting any of you back?"

Penelope began to cry in earnest at his words, unable to keep her emotions in check. "I'm hungry, Mom." It was the first time Jack had ever called her that and she smiled a little wider. "When are we going to get rescued so that I can eat?"

Terry glared at them and she shrugged. "Growing boys need to eat."

"Fine. You do raise a good point. My new son needs to keep his strength up if he's to come with me." Penelope glared at his back, growing angry at his presumption that they would ever let him take their son anywhere."

As soon as that man was on the phone, Penelope whispered in Jack's ear. "See if you can't untie me just a little. Sometimes, we rescue ourselves" He nodded and hugged her again, his little hands tugging at the knots behind her back, loosening them a smidgen. She smiled over at Jessica and was relieved to see the woman nod.

"The food will be up in forty minutes," Terry said as he faced them once more. He tried to pull Jack away from Penelope, but her son clung to her, wrapping his arms in the ropes that bound her.

"No! You can't take me from her, she's my momma!" he cried out, burying his face in her shoulder. Terry shook his head in disgust and Penelope feared what he would do to them. He just sat down on the bed, though, keeping his gun trained on them, which unnerved her more.

The forty minutes passed slowly, but finally someone knocked on the door. Terry jumped up off the bed and motioned Jack towards the door. He went over and opened it, revealing Erin, Beth, and Gina. Penelope schooled her face so as not to give them away. "Why are there so many of you?" he asked suspiciously.

"These two girls are in training and shadowing me today," Erin said softly, not meeting his eyes. "Is there anything else we can get you?"

Terry went over to her side and grabbed her chin, roughly pulling her head up to meet his eyes. Penelope watched her friend wince, noticing her reach for something in her pocket. "I don't believe you."

"I'm telling the truth!" she cried out, a few tears rolling down her face. "Please, let go of me."

Penelope felt tears of her own roll down her cheeks as he threw her friend onto the floor. She hit with a dull thud, wincing slightly as she rubbed her shoulder absently. "Leave her alone, you bastard!" Penelope screamed, getting his focus on her. Beth nodded at her and she continued. "Pick on someone your own size. Or is that why you would only choose impressionable teenage girls for your cult?"

She braced for the blow he was preparing to give her when Gina cried out, "Drop the gun, Silverthorne!" He whirled around and saw all three women with guns drawn, focused on him. "I said drop it, asshole!" Penelope watched him shake his head, bringing his gun up. Beth shot first, clipping him in his gun arm. The weapon fell out of his hand and Gina stepped forward, spinning him around to handcuff him.

"Ow! Be careful, bitch!" he whined, which only caused Gina to twist his arm a little more.

Beth lifted a walkie-talkie to her lips. "The threat is contained and the unsub will need medical attention when he gets downstairs. Send a medic up here to look over Jessica, Penelope, and Erin."

"What happened?" Sam asked, his voice tinged with palpable concern, even over the device.

"Nothing much, just a bully trying to get his way." She set the walkie-talkie aside and looked at Penelope. "What happened here?"

"I don't really know, Beth. Silverthorne hit me in the head at one point, causing me to black out. Would you help Jess, though? I don't have any idea what that is he put on her, but it looks like it hurts." Beth nodded and moved to the other woman's side while Erin got Penelope untied.

Once her arms were free, she wrapped one around Jack and the other around Erin. "Penelope Garcia, do not ever scare me like that again. He could have shot you!" Erin whispered fiercely before kissing her cheek.

"I'll make sure to ask you, then, before another unsub kidnaps me." She tried to laugh, but it came out as a sob, and she buried her head in Erin's shoulder. "I want to go home."

"In good time, Penny. There are a few things we'll need to take care of first. Your witness statement needs to be written down, a paramedic has to look at you three, and then, Aaron wants us to wait until the media presence dies down before we leave. He didn't think you or Jessica wanted to be on the news."

She nodded, knowing Erin was right, and let herself be led over to the bed. She sat heavily, watching Beth remove the strange metal cage from Jessica's head. "Do you know what that is?" she asked as Erin sat next to her.

"It's called the scold's bridle. It's an old fashioned torture device used on women who scold or nag too much. Silverthorne must have made this himself, since I haven't seen one outside a museum, ever." Erin rubbed her shoulder gently, and she burrowed closer to her.

Beth eased the metal mouthpiece from between Jessica's lips and Penelope tried to shield Jack's eyes from seeing the blood that poured from his aunt's mouth. "Where's the damn medic?" Beth muttered as she set the contraption aside. Grabbing the towel from the cart, she held it to the woman's mouth, trying to staunch the flow.

Moments later, a medic, a police officer, and Aaron came into the room. Jack ran to his father, hugging him tightly. "Hey, Boss Man," she said, smiling tiredly at him as he sat on her other side. "I'm sorry."

"You did nothing wrong, pumpkin. We should have made certain Silverthorne was dead. But with Morgan and me hurt, and JJ trying to calm Seaver down, we overlooked that. I'm so sorry, Penny, Jessica."

The other woman nodded slightly as the paramedic checked over her tongue. Penelope felt her heart break as she saw the angry looking cuts and welts on her tongue. "Jess, you're coming home with us, all right? Let me take care of you." She nodded once more and Penelope let herself smile fully.

"And don't think any of you are cooking. Jeff may still be nursing a bum side, but I can whip up a mean casserole. We'll be over around five to get things ready." Erin hugged Penelope tightly before leaving the room.

"Um, surprise? I have a new best friend. How come Jayje didn't come up here?" she asked, looking at her clasped hands.

"Sam and I wanted it to be just Beth and Gina doing the op, but Erin insisted. She wanted to rescue you. See, she has this silly notion that she's responsible for this whole fiasco, since she asked you to look into Courtney's kidnapping in the first place."

"It's not silly, Aaron. She takes things like that to heart. And now, we're getting a home cooked meal from her. How's my Boo?"

"Morgan will recover in time. He has to go to the doctor today and have his ankle checked out, since it was so swollen yesterday that they couldn't cast it."

"That's good to hear, I suppose. Honey, I'm going to fall asleep now. Or faint. I'm not sure which." She fell back onto the bed, blackness claiming her.

When she woke up, she was in the back of Aaron's car, Jack curled up next to her, watching her. "Mom! You're awake!" she smiled tenderly at him and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. "Aunt Jessica said it was the loss of adrenaline that made you sleep so suddenly. Do you feel okay now? You're not going to leave us, are you?"

"Baby, the only way I would ever leave you would be if a herd of wild elephants dragged me away. And do we have any of those here?" He shook his head. "Well, I guess you have your answer, then, Jackers." She leaned down and kissed his head.

"Did you want to start looking for a house?" Aaron asked suddenly, meeting her eye briefly in the rearview mirror.

"Sure, I guess. What brought this on?"

"Nothing, really. I've been thinking about it for a while." He cleared his throat and Penelope felt her heart melt, knowing suddenly what he was driving at. "Erin's called two times in the last ten minutes. Jack, will you hand Aunt Pe – Mom her phone?"

Jack nodded and snaked his arm up into the center console, picking up her iPhone and handing it to her just as another call from Erin came in. "Hello, katydid. What can I do for you?"

"I just need to see if there are any special dietary considerations for tonight."

"I'm trying this whole vegan thing, but none of us have any allergies. And I sort of really miss cheese. So, whatever you make will be fine." She met Aaron's eye once more in the rearview mirror and smiled. "You're bringing Jeff and Courtney, right?"

"Yes. Aaron can do his deposition thing at the apartment just as easily as at our house. How's Jessica?"

"Her tongue is going to be raw and sore for a week or two, but other than that, she's fine. And I'm fine. Katydid, this is not your fault, I promise you that." She heard Erin start to sniffle and put her on Facetime. "Erin Strauss, you look at me. None of this is your fault. You take on too much responsibility, you really do. I'm in, like, total friend love with you katydid, because you let your walls come down to me."

"Total friend love?" she asked, smiling slightly.

"Well, yeah. Aaron's my true love, so there's that. Friend love is so much different than that. It's highly individual. I don't love Jayje the same way I love you, or Morgan, or Emily, or Reid, or Rossi…"

"I love you, too," she said in a rush and Penelope grinned. "And if you tell anyone in the office I said that…"

"You'll defriend me on Facebook and make me rue the day, I know. I know you, katydid."

Erin sighed and smiled gently. "I guess you do, Penny. I'll see you in a few hours."

Hanging up, she looked at Aaron in the mirror again. "If you breathe one word of what you just heard to anyone at the office, I will pull a Lysistrata on you."

"You wouldn't," he replied as Jessica giggled slightly, giving Penelope a thumbs up from the front seat.

"I would. It would be ha-difficult to do, but I would do it. You know my friends mean the world to me, Aaron."

"Fine, not one word from my mouth, pumpkin." She smiled and leaned forward to pat his shoulder gently.

"I knew you'd see it my way, Boss Man." Settling back in the seat, she snuggled Jack close to her, bending slightly to kiss the top of his head. "You were very brave in there, Jack. I am so very proud of you."

"I couldn't let him hurt you and Aunt Jessica." He rubbed his face into her side and she patted his back softly. "Not like George," he whispered, squeezing her tightly.

"Oh, baby," she breathed out, rubbing his back. "I'm sorry we scared you like that."

The rest of the car ride passed by silently and once they were home, Jessica went to Jack's room, closing the door behind her. Penelope helped Jack to get settled on the couch and playing video games before she went to check on her. Jessica was curled up on the bed, fast asleep, and Penelope smiled.

Backing out of the room, she ran into Aaron and sighed as he wrapped his arms around her waist. "I thought we were going to lose you."

"Erin would never let that happen." She turned in his arms and closed her own arms around his neck. "I don't know if you can yet, but we have time to make love before Erin and her family get here."

"How about we just cuddle and save that for later tonight. I don't want Jack to accidentally walk in on us. She nodded and let him lead her back to the couch, content to be in his arms once more.


	14. Chapter 14

Penelope knew something was up the minute she stepped into the bullpen. It had been over a week since her suspension was lifted and she was glad to be back at work. It was weird, though, how Reid, JJ, and Rossi stared at her as she made her way up to the tech cave.

Sitting behind her desk, she turned her babies on, never more grateful that it was Wednesday and she would be escaping for a few hours with Erin. The briefing was even more awkward, as everyone kept looking from her to Aaron then back to her.

Once it was over, Reid stopped her from going back to work. "So, Garcia. What does Jack like to eat?"

"Just about anything, really. Why?"

"Oh, Hotch wanted me to take him for the night. He thinks it would be a good experience for me."

"Then take him to Pizza Express. He loves that place." Penelope knew what she was setting her friend up for, but didn't really mind, since this just cemented the weirdness of the day into place. Brushing past him, she went to her office and tried to concentrate on what she had been doing.

It took a long time, or so she felt, for the clock to turn to noon, but finally it did and she made her way to Erin's office. The assistant smiled and sent her right in. "Hi, Penny. Just give me a moment to finish up this file and I'll be ready to head out. Did you have somewhere in mind today?"

"The Golden Dragon? Chinese sounds really good to me today. Do you know why everyone on Aaron's team is acting so weird today?"

Erin signed off on her file and closed it, looking up at her as she slid her reading glasses off. "Yes, I do. And before you ask, I cannot tell you. I've been sworn to secrecy, just like the others."

Penelope pouted, staring at the ground. "I don't like people keeping secrets from me."

Erin threaded her arm through Penelope's, leading her out to the elevators. "Will it make you feel better if I tell you that you're going to be very happy?"

"A little, katydid. How's Jeff doing?" she asked as they stepped into the elevator.

"He's almost healed." Erin blushed faintly and Penelope grinned.

"Ah, so you guys consummated his recovery last night. Ouch!" she exclaimed as Erin pinched her side sharply. "What was that for?"

"What we do in the bedroom, or living room, or study, is private and not to be spoken of at work, all right? We can talk about that at lunch."

Penelope gaped at her a little before giggling. "Of course, Erin. I'll try to remember that in the future." They walked to Erin's car quietly, but once the door was closed, she turned to her. "Okay, spill."

"I didn't realize how much I love and missed physical intimacy until last night. It was like we were teenagers again. I'm going to have to sew the buttons back on my blouse, if I can find all of them. But oh, does my body ache in a most delicious way." She smiled puckishly at Penelope. "I don't think there are words enough to describe how much I love that man of mine."

"I'm with you there, Erin. You know, Kevin asked me to marry him once? I turned him down flat. Even then, I knew he wasn't the One. But if my Boss Man were to ask me? I'd say yes in a heartbeat. Everything happens for a reason, but I often wonder how I got so lucky as to have such a wonderful life. I don't even miss Emily quite so much, now that I have you," she said as they pulled into a parking spot.

"Oh, peach, you shouldn't esteem me so highly. I could still end up hurting you."

"Never deliberately, katydid. And you gave me a nickname." They got out and she went around to Erin's side, holding out her hand. Erin took hold and squeezed gently, smiling at her.

"I did. I've been wracking my brain, trying to come up with one for you. This is the one that seemed to stick." Erin tugged her along into the restaurant and they were soon seated in a secluded booth. "Do you think I'm too old to be having a baby?" she asked once they'd gotten their soup.

"You're pregnant?" Penelope asked incredulously, staring at her stomach.

"No, but Jeff and I were talking last night, between rounds, and we both feel the desire to have another child. He mentioned adopting a baby, since I shouldn't have another child naturally. What do you think?"

"I think you're a wonderful mother and that any child would be lucky to be adopted by you and Jeff. Go for it," Erin's face relaxed into a smile as she sighed.

"Thanks. I think I just needed to hear that from someone else." Their time together passed quickly and too soon Penelope was back behind her desk, watching the clock. This was her one early day and she couldn't wait to be home. Finally, five o'clock rolled around and she shut down her computers and left. The lights were already off in Aaron's office and Reid was missing from his desk as well.

"They left while you were at lunch with Erin," Rossi said, and she looked up at him in surprise. "Hotch had some preparations to do for tonight."

"And you can't tell me what it is, either. First, my katydid clams up, and now you. Isn't there anything you can tell me?"

"Ian Doyle is dead. It looks like one of his former lovers got upset about something he did to her and she killed him early this evening in France." He smiled and looked knowingly at Emily's desk and she nodded in return. "Maybe my prodigal daughter will come home to us soon."

"That would be nice." She leaned over and hugged him quickly. "I'll see you tomorrow." He nodded and she made her way to the elevators. While she was waiting, Erin joined her. "Did you hear the news about Doyle?"

"Yes, I did. It's wonderful that some justice has finally been served. Do you think it will take long for her to return?"

There was a hint of sadness in the question and Penelope turned to look at her friend. "No, she'll be home as soon as she can be. But that won't change anything between the two of us, katydid. I'm your peach and she can just deal with it. Okay?"

Erin smiled a little and nodded. "Thank you. You'd never think that under this tough exterior lies a very tender and insecure heart." Her breath hitched a little and Penelope bumped her hip against Erin's. "Did you see the photos I posted on Facebook last night?"

"Yes. I take it Jeff took them. If I had known he was going to be taking pictures, I would have done something a little different with my hair."

"Oh, you looked fine." The elevator doors opened and they stepped on it with a number of other people. Using the crowd of people as a shield, she held onto Erin's hand until they got down to the parking garage. "Oh, and if you feel the need to call me tonight, for any reason, please call my cell phone. Courtney's been waking up to the phone ringing and we can't figure out why, but she has a really rough time getting back to sleep. And you know how important that is."

"Of course, katydid. If I don't call, I'll see you tomorrow." She let go of Erin's hand and made her way over to her car. Getting in, she found a bouquet of tulips sitting on her passenger seat. Picking them up, she smiled at the profusion of color. The drive home was uneventful, but Penelope found herself strangely happy as she parked next to Aaron.

The elevator seemed to take forever to get up to their floor and she tapped her foot in an impatient rhythm as she waited for it to stop on their floor. "I really cannot wait to find a house," she muttered lowly. The doors opened and she hurriedly made her way down the hall. Unlocking the door, she found herself breathing in the heavenly scent of Italian food. "I'm home, honey," she called out as she shut and locked the door.

"I'm in the kitchen, pumpkin."

She joined him and saw there were salad plates filled already, along with bowls set out for soup and dinner plates. "What's the occasion?"

"Do I need a reason to treat you well, Penelope?"

"When everyone, including Erin, knows something is up, then yes. Did you find a home for us?"

"Maybe. We'll just have to wait and see how the night progresses."

Penelope rolled her eyes and went to pick up the salad plates to bring them over to the table. Aaron just shook his head and stilled her hand. "What?"

"I'm waiting on you tonight. Take a seat." After she'd done so, he lit the candles on the table and then set their salads down. "Did you have a good lunch with Erin today?"

"Yeah. She's looking into adopting. Her and Jeff want another kid. Speaking of that, do you want more children?" She tucked into her salad, watching his face carefully.

"I would like to have two or three more kids. A brother for Jack at the very least. Would that be okay?"

She smiled gently. "That sounds wonderful, actually. I'm going to want to continue to work, though. I don't think I was made to be a homebody."

"That will be fine, pumpkin." They finished their salads and as he got up, Aaron handed her a single rose. Attached to the stem was a slip of paper and as he cleared their places, she read the note aloud.

"I will always love you. You will always love me. We will be happy for eternity." Sighing, she looked up at her lover as he set the bowl of soup in front of her. "Honey, that's so romantic."

"Well, I do have a romantic bone or two in my body." The soup was divine and she found herself groaning in pleasure. "Pumpkin, we still have two courses to go."

Penelope nodded. "I know. This is just so yummy. Did Dave give you the recipe?" He nodded. "I can tell. He always knows the best dishes to make." When that course was finished, Aaron gave her another rose and she read the paper as he cleared the table. "You are my sunshine. You make me happy. Without you, my day would be so boring. Thank you for loving me." Tears blurred her vision and she swallowed thickly, not wanting to break down.

"And for our main course, I made us vegetarian lasagna." He sat down once more and she reached across the table for his hand, holding on tightly. "What is it, Penelope?"

"Nothing. I just love you so much. I hope that we're just as much in love in twenty years as we are right now." She smiled shyly at him and he lifted her hand to his lips, kissing her palm tenderly. "You're going to make me cry, Aaron."

"I'm sorry."

"No, don't apologize. It would be a good cry." She didn't let go of his hand as they ate their main course, and she found herself waiting to read what message he'd written her. Before he released her hand, he pressed the bloom between her fingers and palm, smiling crookedly at her before clearing the plates. "A merry heart like yours is a gift to be treasured. That your merry heart is still in my life amazes me." For the first time, Penelope noticed Aaron had written some of the words in a different color, but before she could go back and look at the other papers, he was setting a piece of red velvet cake down in front of her.

"I remembered that this is your favorite. I got it at the bakery, though. I'm not quite that good a chef yet." She shrugged a little and he laughed lowly. "Would you really eat a burnt piece of cake?"

"If you had made it, yes." She broke off a piece and popped in into her mouth. "This is delicious, though."

"Good. I have one more rose for you, pumpkin." He handed it over to her and she blushed a little as she grasped it.

"To me, you are perfect. That you chose me continues to amaze me daily. Stay with me forever?" As she finished the note, she looked up at Aaron. Suddenly, she knew what he was asking her and she smiled through her tears. "Aaron?"

"I love you, Penelope Garcia." He held out a ring box to her and she took it. "Will you marry me?"

Penelope looked down at the box in her hands and bit her lip. "I love you, too, Aaron."

"What's holding you back?" His voice was so tender, so full of concern, and she felt her heart clench.

Reaching out for his hand, she clasped it tightly. "Every relationship I've ever seen has not ended well. My dad left my mom. Haley left you. Then there are Rossi's three wives. I don't want to lose you."

"And you won't lose me, I promise. We've seen our worst already, and we're still together." His voice was so earnest, and something clicked into place for her as she continued to look at him.

"Yes."

"Yes?"

"I will marry you. I don't know if this is a wise decision, but I can't live without you." Penelope burst into tears and he was at her side in an instant, pulling her close to his chest. "I love you."

"I love you, too. May I put your ring on now?" She pulled back and nodded, holding out her left hand to him. He opened the box and pulled out the ring. Penelope's eyes grew wide as she saw the large princess-cut aquamarine, and she looked up at him, smiling. "You're too unique for a diamond, Penny. Erin pushed me towards this stone."

"It's perfect, Aaron." Once it was firmly on her finger, she leaned forward and kissed him soundly. "I have to call Erin and let her know my answer." She pulled out her cell and quickly called her friend. "Katydid, I said yes!"

"I hoped you would, peach. I know that marriage isn't your cup of tea, but this will be perfect for you. Give Aaron my warmest regards."

"Will do. Love you."

"Love you, too." They hung up and she blew out the candles.

"Leave the dessert plates, Aaron." She leaned in and kissed him passionately. "I feel like celebrating."

"You read my mind, pumpkin." Taking her hand, he tugged her to her feet and brought her to their room. As he kissed her once more, she felt his fingers fumble with the zipper on her dress. As he focused on her clothes, she began to disrobe him. Aaron was finished before she was and she relished the feel of his hands on her breasts.

"Oh, Aaron," she moaned as his fingers thumbed her nipples into hard peaks. It took her forever to skim his boxers off his hips, but once they were gone, she wrapped her legs around him, pulling him down onto the bed with her.

There was none of their usual foreplay that evening as she needed him inside her, hot and hard. They shared a mutual orgasm and she pulled him down on top of her, holding him tightly as their breathing evened out. One of his large hands stroked her hair and she felt tears well up in her eyes. "Pumpkin?"

"It's nothing, Aaron. I guess I just never thought I'd end up in a fairy tale. The handsome knight who rides to the rescue of a maiden whose true beauty is buried deep inside…"

"None of that now. You are truly beautiful, inside and out. Your eyes are kind and honest. Your skin is soft and white and so responsive to my touch. Your breasts are amazingly sensitive, and your curves go on for days. You've never shied away from my scars, physical or mental, instead steadfastly loving me. If that doesn't make you gorgeous, inside and out, I don't know what does."

Penelope sighed and kissed him. "Have I told you that I love you?"

"Yes."

"Well, hear it again. I love you, Aaron Hotchner. You make me lovely." Penelope kissed him softly and arched into his hand as he cupped her breast once more, massaging it lightly. "Aaron, make love to me once more."

"Only once more? I was hoping to make love to you until the end of time."

"We can only do it one at a time, though."

He chuckled softly as he kissed his was down her body. "You do have a point there." He kissed one of her erect nipples. "And here."

"Aaron," she keened out lowly as he began to suckle strongly, his other hand teasing her clit. "Don't stop."

"Never, my love. Never."


	15. Chapter 15

Penelope woke up to breakfast in bed. "Good morning, Aaron," she murmured as she sat up and stretched.

"Good morning, Penelope." He handed her the tray before joining her in bed. "After this, I thought we could shower together before heading in to work."

"That sounds wonderful," she said as she picked up a piece of toast and took a bite. "Is Jessica picking Jack up at Reid's?"

"Uh huh. I figured we'd tell him the good news tonight. Unless I have to go out on a new case. Then I'll Facetime you and we'll tell him together." He leaned over and kissed her cheek.

"Where'd you come up with the rose idea?" she asked as she continued to eat.

"I modified how my grandfather asked my grandmother to marry him. He sent her bouquets of roses over the course of four weeks. I couldn't wait that long, though, and knew that if I gave you four bouquets in the course of one night, you'd know something was up before I got to the second one."

"I probably would have." They finished eating and he set the tray on the nightstand before helping her up from the bed. Their shower didn't last very long and soon she was drying off with one of the fluffy bath towels. "What should I wear this morning, Aaron?"

"Purple. I love that color on you." He dropped a kiss on her shoulder as he padded out into their bedroom. She followed him in and thumbed through her outfits. "How are things coming on your house list?"

"I have it narrowed down to five. One dream prospect and four I'd settle for."

"And what's your dream prospect?" he asked as he pulled on a pair of boxers.

"This gorgeous Antebellum house just outside Quantico. It will need some fixing up, since it hasn't been occupied in about five years. But it has a huge yard where Jack could play soccer and I could have a flower garden. There's room in the house for a study and a computer room. The dining room is large enough where we can have the team and their families over for holiday dinners. In short, it is perfect."

She hooked her bra as she took a breath. "And how much does this perfect dream house cost?"

"Three seventy five. I have about forty thousand we could use for a down payment." She bit her lip as she stepped into the white and purple dress she knew to be Aaron's favorite and waited for his response.

"And I have forty thousand I can put towards a down payment," he said while he zipped the dress. "I was expecting it to cost at least double the price you quoted."

Penelope smiled as she turned in his arms. Leaning up, she kissed him soundly. "I'll call the real estate agent today, then, and let her know about our decision." Letting go, she stepped into a pair of heels and then put on her makeup.

"Are you ready to head out?" he asked minutes later, slipping his arm around her waist. She nodded and they went out to the car. As he drove, she played with her ring, trying to convince herself that she was awake and not dreaming. Arm in arm, they made their way up to the bullpen and she let go of him. "Off to see Erin?"

"Uh huh, and then I'll be back. We can tell the others during the briefing."

"They might already know. Morgan caught me looking at your ring last week and put two and two together. And you know how good he is about keeping secrets like that. Important stuff, yes. But this was too rich for him to pass up, I feel."

"Ah, I see. And how did Erin find out?"

"I had to clear it with her. I know she said she'd go to bat for us, but I had to let her know when I was going to ask you."

Penelope smiled at him. "Of course. See you in a little bit, Boss Man." She walked down the hall to Erin's office and raised her eyebrow as she watched Mary type away, going even faster than she did. "Is she in, Mary?"

"Yeah, you can go right in, Penelope," the woman replied, not looking up from her screen. "Sorry, I'm just under a time crunch."

Penelope nodded and opened the door to Erin's office, stepping inside. "Good morning, katydid," she said as she shut the door.

"Good morning, peach. Come over here and let me see your ring!" Penelope walked over to the desk and extended her left hand. "This is so beautiful. I'm glad he went with the aquamarine, it suits you well." Penelope smiled and pulled Erin up into a tight hug.

"I'm going to marry him, Erin. Despite every bad relationship I've seen or been in, I'm going to hitch my wagon to his horse. I hope I'm good enough for him."

"Penelope, you are perfect for him." Erin looked into her eyes until she nodded and then hugged her once more. "Don't let what came before tarnish what you have now."

"I'll try not to, Erin, if you keep reminding me of the good."

"Isn't that what hard ass Section Chiefs are for?" Penelope grinned as she nodded. "So, tell me. How did he ask you?"

"He cooked a meal for us. After each course, he gave me a rose that explained his feelings for me, highlighting each important word in red. It still took me until the last rose to figure everything out. But it was super romantic."

"It sounds like it was. Do you have a date yet?"

She shook her head. "No, but I think sometime next year. I want it to be perfect, you know."

"Knowing you, peach, it will be spectacular." Erin tweaked her nose lightly. "Now, I have to get back to work, but I am free for lunch today. See if you can get Jennifer to come, too. We could make it a girl's afternoon."

"That sounds absolutely perfect, katydid. We'll meet you here at 12:30." Penelope left her friend's office and made her way to the bullpen. Looking up at Aaron's office, she noticed most of the team in there, Ashley being the only one missing. Shrugging, she went into her tech cave and booted up her babies. It was only then that she noticed the huge bouquet of calla lilies on her desk.

Smiling, she moved the bouquet to sit in front of her main screen. As she sat down, she began to put together the research for the day's briefing. A soft rapping on her door broke her concentration and she looked up. "Come on in."

"Hey, Hotch wanted me to see if you were ready for the briefing." Penelope turned to look at JJ, a bright smile on her lips.

"Hey, Jayje. I'm almost ready here. So, do you want to have lunch with Erin and me today? This is just a consult case, so we'll both be free."

"She wants to have lunch with me?" JJ looked skeptical, so Penelope nodded enthusiastically as she turned back to her monitor, sending the data to everyone's iPad.

"Yeah, JJ, she does. You might be surprised and find yourself liking her."

"I suppose," she replied as Penelope stood and picked up her remote and iPad.

"Okay, I should amend myself here. You have to like her, or at least get along until Aaron and I are married. You two are going to be my attendants." She threaded her arm through JJ's and walked with her over to the war room.

The others were seated already, looking at her expectantly as she made her way to the front of the room. Aaron was there and she was surprised when he wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her close. "You all know about our good new, since Morgan is a bit of a blabbermouth when it comes to these things. Well, last night, I asked Penelope…"

"And I said yes!" She held up her left hand, showing off the ring. "Mark your calendars for next fall, I expect to see you all there. Now, let's get on with this consult." She ran through the evidence the Evansville police had given the, and then sat down, looking up angles as they asked her for them. By noon, they had a working profile and Penelope smiled happily as she sent the data off to her contact.

"What time is our lunch?" JJ asked as she followed her back into the tech cave.

"I told her we'd be at her office by 12:30. Don't sound so down, we always go to somewhere delicious." Penelope smiled until JJ smiled back and then she grabbed her purse. "Let's head out."

JJ nodded and they went to her office to get her purse before heading down the hall to Erin's. Mary had moved on to filing by this point and she smiled up at them. "Chief Strauss is on a call at the moment, but she should be off in shortly. Courtney, well, it's been a day. Feel free to sit down and wait for her."

"Thank you, Mary." They sat on the low couch and she watched JJ's foot tap anxiously. Reaching out, she rested her hand on the other woman's thigh, feeling the tapping slowly stop. "There's nothing to worry about."

"So you say," JJ muttered, staring at the door. "I know you're good friends with her and all, I guess I'm just not as forgiving as you are. I mean, she is the one that handed me over to the State Department."

"Not willingly, Jennifer." They both looked up at Erin and Penelope saw the quick flash of hurt in Erin's eyes that she quickly masked. "Are you ready to head out now?"

"I've been ready since you asked this morning. Come on, Jayje." Standing, Penelope pulled her friend to her feet and followed Erin out the door to the elevators. "So, where are we headed to this afternoon?"

"I was thinking P. F. Chang's," she said softly as the elevator doors opened and they stepped inside. Penelope knew JJ had hurt Erin by the tone of voice she was using. As the doors closed, she clasped Erin's hand, squeezing tightly.

"I love P. F. Chang's." Penelope smiled stiffly, wanting to smack JJ for her remark. "How is Courtney?"

"She's doing all right, today's just been a rough one. Ever since Aaron took her deposition, she's been making progress. She's back in school and is almost caught up to her peers. If things continue to go this well, she'll graduate on time." Penelope took in the soft smile on Erin's face and hoped JJ saw it, too. "And what about Henry? Is he doing well in preschool?"

JJ nodded. "It was rough at first, but now he loves going. And he's learning so much." She sighed. "My baby's growing up so quickly."

"They do that. One moment, you can hold them for as long as you want, and the next moments, they're preparing for college." JJ nodded and Penelope hoped this was a good sign. They got off the elevator and walked over to Erin's car. Penelope took shotgun and watched JJ in the side mirror. "I didn't just let you go, Jennifer, I tried to fight for you. But it would have been my job as well, if I had refused in the end. They were going to get you, no matter what."

"So you saved your own skin. It's understandable."

"You don't understand, Jennifer. Shepperd would have fired me and then still handed you over to the State Department. After he had disbanded your team. If you hated me, so be it, but it kept Alpha together." Penelope watched a few tears track down Erin's face and she dug through her purse, taking out a tissue and handing it over.

"I-I didn't…I'm sorry. I should have thought about it more." Erin nodded sharply and the drive continued on in silence. By the time they got to the restaurant, Erin was still crying quietly, and Penelope felt her heart break.

"Jayje, go on ahead and put our name in. We'll join you shortly." JJ nodded and made her way inside. Penelope turned to her friend. "Get out so I can hug you properly."

Erin nodded and slipped out of the car, standing by her door. Penelope came around to her side and opened her arms. "I don't want to be hated any longer," she whispered as she stepped into her arms. "My heart can't take it anymore."

"Oh, katydid, I can't change their opinions of you overnight, I can only talk you up to them. And I love you, my dear friend."

"I know you do, peach. Just like I love you. Now, let's go eat." Erin clasped her hand as they walked inside, squeezing at random times. JJ had been seated in a secluded booth and they joined her, Penelope sitting between them.

Once their order was in, Penelope looked first at JJ, and then at Erin. "As I told Jayje earlier, you two are going to be my attendants in the wedding. I don't want a matron or maid of honor, I just want my two closest friends at my side as I marry the man of my dreams."

Erin nodded as she sipped at her coffee. "Whatever you want, peach."

"Great! So, next October sounds feasible, since the entire team will have to get the time off. Are you two up for helping me plan this thing?"

"Of course!" Erin and JJ answered simultaneously. This got them to smile at each other and Penelope felt the ice in the air begin to melt.

"So, now that that's agreed on, Saturday I want to start making lists. Both of you could swing by the apartment at eleven. I'll feed you , and you can bring Henry, Jayje."

"If we're home, sure. Otherwise, start with Erin. At this stage, it will be easy to play catch up." JJ smiled shyly as Erin and Erin returned the gesture. "One thing I have to ask, though, is that Erin and I get final say on our dresses. I do not want to look like I'm headed to prom again."

"I'll have to see about that." Penelope grinned. "Oh, and we're moving shortly, too. I found the perfect house for us and Aaron agreed to it! I have to let the realtor know about our offer by tonight. Hopefully, since it's been on the market for so long, we'll get it right away. And once it closes, on our next weekend off and home, we'll have a moving party."

"That does sound like a good idea, PG. I'm sure I can rope Will into helping us out as well." Their lunch soon came and the conversation soon began to flow more naturally. JJ even began to joke with Erin, including her in things only Penelope and Emily had known.

"I don't want this afternoon to end, you two. My closest friends in the world are now friendly towards each other and have made me so happy." Penelope reached out for their hands and clasped them tightly. "I love both of you too much not to try and make peace. But we should probably get back to the office now."

Erin settled the bill and they made their way back to the car. Penelope took shotgun again and was content to listen to JJ and Erin chatter away about their kids. Soon, Erin was parking in her space once more and they were riding up to the sixth floor. "I'll see you later, PG!" JJ called out as she disappeared into her office.

Penelope nodded and followed Erin to her office. "Don't you have work of your own to do, peach?"

"Yeah, but I want to be here, if you don't mind. I feel safe with you."

"What do you need to feel safe from?" Erin asked as she sat behind her desk.

"Everything in my life right now?" Her friend turned to look at her, a questioning look in her eyes.

Penelope sighed, sinking down onto the sofa. "All right, peach, spill."

"This is too perfect for me, katydid. The engagement, him giving in so easily on the house, you and JJ making nice. Everything points to a major shit storm brewing. I played at cheerful and perky during lunch, since I don't want Jayje to worry about me, or to blame my attitude on you. She has enough on her plate, what with trying to bring Emily home. And Aaron would just tell me I'm overreacting. Am I?"

"I think you've seen a lot of heartache in your short life, Penelope. What Battle did to you, what Kevin did to you, would be enough to scar anyone. I think I once read in Aaron's review of you that you strive to find the good in everyone. Maybe it's time to see the good happening in your own life." She smiled gently and Penelope smiled back. "And you have a wonderful group of friends all too willing to remind you of that fact."

"I'll try to keep that in mind. There's two things I want to do this afternoon: call the realtor and take a nap. In that order."

"The phone is right here." Erin picked up the receiver and held it out to her.

"Thank you!" She jumped up and took it from her friend's hand, dialing the number from memory. The conversation was brief and she made the appointment for next Friday to close on the deal, once their offer was accepted. After hanging up, she looked around to see Erin by her closet, pulling out a warm, royal blue, blanket. "For me?"

"Well, you did say you want a nap. And I have a very comfortable couch."

"That you do, katydid." She took the blanket from Erin's hands and went over to the couch, slipping off her shoes and curling up on it. "Wake me up before you go?"

"Why, are we going dancing tonight?"

Penelope grinned as she yawned. "Not tonight, but for sure at my wedding." Her eyes closed heavily as she realized she was more tired than she had thought.

"Sweetest dreams, peach," she heard Erin whisper before she nodded off, feeling safe in her friend's presence.


	16. Epilogue

_Nineteen months later…_

"Where are we going?" Penelope asked anxiously. All week leading up to her bachelorette party, she'd been trying to find out what JJ and Erin had planned.

"You'll find out in a couple minutes, Penelope," Jessica answered, a teasing lilt in her voice.

"I hope you lot are not planning on getting me drunk tonight. My wedding day is tomorrow, and I don't want to have a hangover."

"Nope, no alcohol tonight. Erin quit drinking earlier this year, remember? It was becoming too much of a crutch for her?"

"Oh, yeah." Penelope did remember that, how Erin had come to her crying, saying she was losing herself to alcohol. How she needed someone to help her dump out all the bottles in her home and office. How she needed someone to keep her honest and sober. Penelope had been more than willing to be that for her, and it had brought them closer together.

Jessica finally pulled into the stadium's parking lot and Penelope felt her eyes grow large at the sight. "Welcome to your party."

"This concert has been sold out for months," Penelope whispered, a bright smile curling her lips. Jessica parked next to some very familiar cars and they got out. Soon, she was surrounded by her friends and she stepped into Erin's open arms. "How did you pull this off, katydid?"

"It helps to be someone who's good at politics. I've made a lot of connections over the years and decided to put them to good use once Courtney told me how much you wanted to see this concert. Put these on." Erin handed out VIP lanyards to all of them and winked at Penelope. "Sometimes it helps to be a dragon."

Penelope giggled as they made their way inside the venue. Erin had snagged perfect seats and Penelope felt like she was in heaven from the moment Hyde opened his mouth.

After the concert, a bodyguard led them backstage and Penelope felt her knees grow a little weak as she interacted with the members of L'Arc~en~Ceil. After getting a poster and t-shirt signed they left to head home. Penelope walked on clouds all the way back to the cars. "Now for part two," Erin said as she unlocked her doors.

"Part two?"

"The sleepover at Erin's," JJ replied, a quick smile coming to her lips. "Though we're not staying up too late, seeing as how the stylist will be there at nine tomorrow to begin our transformations."

"You guys, this is too perfect!" Penelope felt herself tear up and blinked rapidly to hold them at bay. Shaking her head, she got into Jessica's car and they followed at the rear of the convoy. Every light was on in Erin's house as they pulled into the driveway and Penelope smiled as she saw Courtney standing in the front window, waiting for them. "Courtney!"

"Penny!" The girl ran up and hugged her tightly and then slung an arm around her waist. "The dresses are all hanging up in the study for tomorrow. Mom looks so frakking gorgeous in hers."

"That's what I was hoping for, kiddo." They went into the living room and Courtney had her sit between JJ and Erin. The lights came down as Courtney started up a DVD. Penelope was delighted to see it was movies of the childhoods of everyone in the wedding party. She even got to see new sides of Erin and JJ.

"Who put this together?" she asked when it had finished.

"Dad and me. That's what he does for a hobby. Mr. Morgan helped out with some of the videos." Courtney smiled shyly at her and then sat down at their feet. "You're so lucky to be marrying the man you love."

"I am, aren't I?" Penelope replied as she ran her fingers through Courtney's hair. The group soon began to talk about their previous lovers until one by one they fell asleep. Erin and Penelope were the last ones awake and she smiled at her friend. "I don't know if I should be nervous about tomorrow or not," she whispered.

"It's okay to feel nervous. I was on my wedding day. And look how long Jeff and I have made it. Twenty six years and four kids later, we're just as strong as we were at the beginning."

Penelope nodded. "You know how we pretended in the cabin? Could we do that again? I miss my momma tonight."

"Of course, peach." Erin held up her arm and Penelope snuggled into her side, resting her head on her friend's chest. The fingers that ran through her hair soon lulled her to sleep, a contented smile on her lips.

In the morning, she woke up to the smell of pancakes. Opening her eyes, she found her head in Erin's lap and she smiled up into her face. "Good morning, katydid. Who made breakfast?"

"I did," Emily said as she set down a jar of maple syrup. It was hard to believe that she'd come back to them and left to pursue other goals so quickly. Penelope knew, though, that she'd had a hard time finding her place in the group once more. "It's the only part of my cooking lessons that have stuck. Rossi was right to call me hopeless in the kitchen."

"Em, you don't need to be perfect for us. Just being here is enough." She took the plate Emily held out and began to eat, foregoing the syrup. Once they'd eaten, Emily and Ashley cleaned up while Erin and JJ led her upstairs. "Is the stylist here already?"

"She got here an hour ago. Courtney helped her set up in the master bathroom." Erin opened her bedroom door and led her into the bathroom. The stylist had set up a stool in the center of the room, in front of the full-length mirror. "Hello, Amber."

"Hi, Erin. So, I'm just doing you three, right? Not the others that are here?"

"That's right. They're heading home to get ready shortly, and Courtney wants to do her own hair and makeup." Erin had JJ sit first and as they watched, Amber put her hair up in a cloud of curls. Her makeup was just as ethereal and Penelope smiled. Erin went next and then, finally, Penelope.

When she'd finished, JJ paid her and they led Penelope into the bedroom. Someone had hung their dresses up on the armoire and Penelope sat heavily on the bed. This was really happening, she was getting married in less than two hours. "Pinch me, katydid. I think I'm dreaming."

Erin tenderly squeezed her earlobe, the pain enough to tell her she was wide awake. "Do you mind if we all get dressed together? Or would that weird you out?"

"We're all girls, you don't have anything I don't have," Penelope answered as she unbuttoned her blouse from last night and peeled off her skirt and underwear. Erin handed her the lingerie set they'd bought together and she stepped into the lacy white thong. "Okay, now someone has to help me with the corset." Erin came over to her side and helped her get it situated while JJ pulled the ties closed.

The rest of their preparations went quickly and as soon as they were dressed, Courtney came in and took pictures of all of them. "The photographer called, and she's at the church already, along with the florist. And the limo just arrived. Are you ready to go?"

Looking at JJ and then Erin, Penelope nodded, stepping forward to hug Courtney. "I guess so. Let's go." They all walked downstairs and Erin picked up their purses as JJ opened the door. The limo driver had opened that door for them and Courtney slid in first, helping Penelope in. Erin climbed in next, followed by JJ and then they were on their way. "There are butterflies in my stomach."

"And that's okay. You're marrying your love and everything will be wonderful." JJ grinned at her. "Though we always thought you'd end up with Morgan."

"You just didn't want me to end up with my boss. Remember 'you're playing with fire, Penelope'?"

"Yes, well, I didn't know the support you'd receive at the time." Penelope just shook her head as she smiled.

The limo came to a stop in front of the church and she took a deep breath. "This is it." The door opened and she saw Reid, Dave, and Morgan standing there. Reid helped JJ out first, handing her a bouquet of purple roses. Dave took Erin's hand and gave her a bouquet of turquoise roses.

"Ready, Baby Girl?" Morgan asked as he helped both her and Courtney out of the limo.

"Of course, Sugar. Thanks for riding with us, Courtney." She hugged the girl tightly and smiled as she took pictures of them all before disappearing inside. "Let's see, my something old is Erin's great-grandmother's strand of pearls. My blue is the streak in my hair. The borrowed is Jayje's handkerchief, and my new is this kick ass pair of Louboutins. I am more than ready to do this."

He squeezed her hand and they climbed the steps leading into the church. Vaguely, she heard the organist playing the music Erin had helped her pick out and she felt her nerves calm down a little. _No turning back now_ she thought and smiled as she watched Reid and JJ head down the aisle. Next went Dave and Erin, and she nodded at her friend as she looked back at her and winked.

And then it was her turn. She heard the music switch to her entrance piece and she straightened her shoulders, letting Morgan lead her down the aisle. Penelope locked eyes with Aaron and felt everything else just melt away. The ceremony was brief, she thought, and then she was looking up at her husband, waiting for him to kiss her.

The kiss was perfectly sweet, and she leaned into Aaron's arms, letting him hold onto her tightly. Finally, they came up for air and the priest smiled kindly at them. "May I introduce you to Mr. and Mrs. Aaron Hotchner." Their guests burst into applause as the organist began their recessional. Walking quickly to the back of the church, they waited to greet their guests.

"So, how long until we head to our luncheon?" he asked as they looked out at the waiting limo.

"Once everyone's gone through the receiving line, we'll take pictures and then be off to eat." She smiled up at him and he pulled her tighter to his side. "And then we're off to spend the week at Erin's cabin. It will be so nice to spend a few days at the beach."

"And they're watching Jack for us, right?"

"Yes. Jack wants to play with Miranda." She smiled and looked at the toddler in Erin's arms. Erin smiled back and had Miranda wave at them. It seemed they were finally happy and had put their troubles behind then and Penelope felt her heart sing a little with joy. "When we get back, we can tell Jack he's going to be a big brother."

Aaron looked at her incredulously and she nodded. Kissing her temple lightly, he squeezed her tightly. "Wonderful news, pumpkin. I can't wait to tell the others." She nodded and sighed happily, greeting their first guest. Life was wonderful.


End file.
